Sansan Chien
| Sansan Chien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
July 1, 1967 Changhua, Taiwan |
| Died |
October 24, 2011 (aged 44) Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Spouse(s) | Paul San Gregory |
Sansan Chien (Chinese: 簡郁珊; July 1, 1967 – October 24, 2011) was a composer of contemporary classical music well known in Taiwan for her teaching of music theory and composition.
Life and career
She was born July 1, 1967 in Changhua, Taiwan, and grew up in the Taichung area. When she was fifteen, her family moved to the United States, settling in Sylvania, Ohio where she completed her high school education. She then earned a bachelor of music degree in piano performance from The University of Toledo Department of Music (1989), a master's degree in music composition from the Ohio University School of Music (1991),[1] and a doctor of music degree in music composition from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (1997).[2] During the time of her studies at Indiana University she became a naturalized US citizen, but opted to retain her ROC (Taiwan) citizenship as well.
Dr. Chien was a full-time assistant professor of music theory and composition at the National Kaohsiung Normal University Department of Music from 1997 to 2011. Previously, she was a part-time instructor of music composition at The University of Indianapolis and an associate instructor of music composition and related courses at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She was much appreciated by the many students she taught, especially those at National Kaohsiung Normal University. She was also instrumental in helping to organize the music curriculum at NKNU and dramatically improved the level of music theory and music composition instruction there. Together with her husband, Paul San Gregory, a composer and professor of music, they created an intense and encouraging learning environment that has benefited many NKNU graduates. For many years they also created and directed the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble at NKNU, which was the only university-run new music ensemble in Taiwan at the time.
Death
Sansan Chien died at the age of 44 on Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Chang Geng Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, following a difficult struggle with cancer.[3]
References
- ↑ Ohio University Alumni Notes http://www.finearts.ohio.edu/music/pages/alumni/honorsandpositionsalumni.htm “Positions Held or Honors Received by Ohio University School of Music Graduates” posted on the Ohio University School of Music website.
- ↑ Indiana University http://music.indiana.edu/departments/academic/composition/alumni.shtml “Student Alumni List” posted on the Jacobs School of Music Composition Department website.
- ↑ Bellevue Gazette obituary for Sansan Chien http://thebellevuegazette.com/obituaries/sansan-chien/ posted by Sally Boyd on October 28, 2011.