Yun-Chen Chou is a Boston-based Taiwanese percussionist known for her dynamic artistry across classical, contemporary, and global music genres. A versatile performer, she has multiple collaborations with Grammy-nominated composer and steel pannist Andy Akiho since summer 2024. In March 2025, Yun-Chen made her Carnegie Hall debut performing in the Weill Recital Hall.
Born in 1999, Yun-Chen began her musical journey at age 7 with piano, followed by flute at 9 and marimba at 12. As an award-winning marimbist and percussionist, her talents have graced international stages, including PASIC, TMEA, TAPS LA Festival, and Bang on a Can Summer Institute, where she was selected to showcase her exceptional musicianship. An advocate for contemporary music, Yun-Chen frequently premieres innovative works, such as Marking Time by Chris P. Thompson (2023, found percussion version), the U.S. premiere of Lemniscaat (1984) by Simeon Ten Holt with marimba sextet, Desert Wood (2023) by Mark Ford, and more. Chou recently appeared on Andy Akiho's album, Portal, and had recorded a few albums with the profound North Texas Wind Symphony under the baton of Eugene Corporon in the 2021-22 season. She was also named winner from the 2025 Boston International Music Competition, 2024 Boston University Carnegie Hall soloist competition, 2020 North Texas Concerto Competition, 2019 Hit Like A Girl international competition, runner up at 2019 PASIC marimba competition, and finalist from Great Plains International Marimba Competition in 2019.
Her artistic interests span diverse genres, from solo and chamber ensembles to film scoring orchestras, pop orchestras, musical theatre, opera, Balinese gamelan, and Brazilian bateria. Yun-Chen has performed in musical theatre productions such as Something Rotten! (drums) and Into the Woods (percussion). She was a member of Gamelan Galak Tika, a Boston-based Balinese gamelan ensemble, and Grooversity, a Boston-based Brazilian bateria group.
Currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at Boston University, Yun-Chen is dedicated to expanding her musical horizons. She holds a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of North Texas.
