Shaped by teachers whose musical lineages trace directly to the old Russian schools, nineteen-year-old violinist-conductor An-Po Chen is an emerging artist dedicated to preserving the interpretive and pedagogical traditions passed down through generations of master musicians.

As a soloist, An-Po has appeared with ensembles including Orchestra Gradus ad Parnassum, the Archbishop Mitty Orchestra, and the San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) Philharmonic Orchestra. His performances have taken him to venues such as Smetana Hall (Prague, Czechia), the Kraków Opera (Poland), and the California Theatre (San Jose, United States). He has also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York as well as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (United States) as a recitalist. In 2025, An-Po made his international touring debut with the SJYS Philharmonic Orchestra, performing in Poland and Czechia with appearances in Warsaw, Puławy, Kraków, and Prague. Highlights of the tour included Sarasate’s Navarra, performed alongside his partner, composer-violinist Saarthak Shankavaram.

A dedicated chamber musician, An-Po won Ensemble Winner at the 2024 Summer Final Gala Concert of the Jacobs School of Music, an event in which he led as first violinist in a modern violin octet. He has studied chamber music under Zak Grafilo of the Alexander String Quartet and continues to receive coaching and masterclasses from the Grammy-winning Ying Quartet. Additionally, An-Po is one-half of Duo Reverie, a duo dedicated to repertoire for two violins.

An-Po has extensive experience in orchestral leadership and conducting. He served as Principal Violin and later Assistant Conductor of the Archbishop Mitty Orchestra for two years and has performed as Associate Principal Violin of the New Millennium Ensemble. Shortly after graduating as Concertmaster, he joined SJYS’s staff as Camp Co-Director and Assistant Conductor / Coach. In 2024, he conducted a six-performance production of The Drowsy Chaperone: A Musical Within a Comedy.

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music with violinist Mikhail Kopelman, An-Po also works closely with conductor Imant Airea, who is a significant influence on both his violin playing and conducting. Additional influences include conductor Yair Samet. Prior to his studies at Eastman, An-Po earned a diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied violin alongside additional training in conducting and chamber music.