Ying-Chen Kao (高盈真), a Taiwanese-American composer, pianist, educator, and graphic/web designer.
Her music has been lauded as “exceedingly beautiful” in Soundboard UK, a “challenging and rich work” in the Coral Gables Gazette, and “an evocative and surreal soundscape” on Minor 7th: Acoustic Guitar Music Reviews.

Ying-Chen’s music has been featured at various events and broadcasts, such as MUSIQA, The North American Taiwanese Professors’ Association, Taiwan Culture Center D.C., Sylvia Adalman Chamber Series, Union Square Chamber Music Society, The Hedgelawn Classical Series, Mildred McDaniel Concert Series, Old Town Hall Performance Series, the 24th Anniversary Season of the Musical Arts International, Inc., The Hermitage Museum & Gardens Instrumental Recital Series, WBJC, and NPR. Her compositions have been performed and commissioned by musicians and ensembles, such as cellist Michael Kannen, pianist Jenny Lin, saxophonist Gary Thomas, organist Donald Sutherland, Duo Sorolla, and Peabody Children’s Chorus, and have been showcased in venues, such as Capital One Hall, The Stone, The Mainstay, Ningbo Grand Theater, Hangzhou Grand Theatre, Alishan Township Tsou Nature and Cultural Center, and Kaohsiung Music Center.
She is currently composing a multimedia solo piano work commissioned by pianist Tina Chong, with support from San Diego State University, scheduled for premiere and workshops in the 2026–2027 season.

Her saxophone quartet “Frustration Factory” and “Ancient Memory” for solo trombone were published by Warwick Music/Hal Leonard Europe. “Falling Still,” a work for cello and piano inspired by the essays of Katherine Min, was premiered by cellist Michael Kannen, pianist Qing Jiang, with narration by the author. Two solo trombone pieces, “Ancient Memory “and “Transmutation,” were commissioned by the 2008 Summer Trombone Workshop in Taiwan, where they served as the obligatory repertoire for the competition. Her Prix D’Ete-winning composition, “Lilac . Star . Bird,” for solo guitar, was released as the title track on guitarist Tracy Anne Smith’s solo debut album, with Britain's Classical Guitar Magazine praising it as “one of almost beautiful-sounding dissonance… no doubt a major work that demands attention.” “Collidescope,” a multimedia ballet work created in collaboration with the Peabody Preparatory Dance Department, was premiered during the Peabody Institute’s 150th anniversary celebration under the direction of renowned theatre artist and choreographer Martha Clarke.

Ying-Chen brings more than three decades of distinguished piano performance, including solo recitals, world premieres, studio recordings, and collaborative concerts throughout the United States and Asia. She has been featured as both soloist and chamber pianist at festivals and venues, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander Festival, the Gala Opening Night of the Festival of Miami, the Peabody Computer Music Consort, the Arts for Hearts’ Sake concert series, the Taiwan Culture Center of Greater Washington, D.C., and the Steinway Piano Gallery Miami.

A dedicated educator, Ying-Chen teaches piano, theory, and composition at the International School of Music, Patterson Park Academy of Music/South Baltimore Music Academy, and composition at MTSY International Music Education. She prepares students for ABRSM examinations, and her piano students have performed in honors recitals at Carnegie Hall. Her composition students have gained admission to leading institutions such as the Royal Northern College of Music, the Royal Academy of Arts, The New School, Manhattan School of Music, the Peabody Institute, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has also taught music at a K–8 International Baccalaureate language immersion school within Baltimore City Public School.

In addition to her musical career, Ying-Chen is the co-founder of ycArt design studio LLC. She has collaborated with individual artists, cultural organizations, leading management companies, publicists, and record labels, providing strategic consultation on community building and digital presence. Her design work, "Constellation of Voice," was featured on the cover of Carnegie Hall’s playbill in October 2008. Ying-Chen specializes in creating visually compelling and user-friendly websites, promotional materials, and album packaging tailored for musicians and artists.

Ying-Chen earned her BA in theory and composition from the University of Miami before completing her MM and postgraduate studies in composition at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. She resides in Baltimore with her husband, composer/pianist David Witmer.
For more about her work, visit yingchenkao.com and follow her on YouTube, SoundCloud, Facebook, and Instagram.

[December 2025]

Lilac.Star.Bird - Tracy Anne Smith
A collection of twentieth and twenty-first century masterpieces for solo guitar.
Tracy Anne Smith, guitar

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