Chen Yi (陈怡) Born in Guangzhou in 1953, Dr. Chen Yi received her composition degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Columbia University in New York, studying with Profs. Wu Zuqiang, Chou Wen- chung, and Mario Davidovsky. She has been the Distinguished Endowed Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory since 1998. She had also served as Composer-in-Residence for the Women’s Philharmonic, the vocal ensemble Chanticleer, and the Aptos Creative Arts Center in San Francisco (1993-96), supported by Meet The Composer, and taught on the composition faculty at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore (1996-98).

Chen Yi blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. She has composed over 160 works ranging from solo instruments and chamber groups (over 60) to chorus (over 30), and large ensembles (over 50, including orchestra or wind band, concertos, or mixed vocal and instrumental works), recorded in over 120 commercially released CDs on various labels, and received the prestigious Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2001. Published by Theodore Presser Company, her music has reached a wide range of audiences and inspired people around the world.

As a strong advocate for new music with diversity and inclusion, particularly for women in music, Prof. Chen has been awarded 5 Honorary Doctorates in the States and Distinguished Visiting Professorship from many music institutes in China. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2019.

作曲家陈怡博士1953年生于广州，毕业于北京中央音乐学院及纽约哥伦比亚大学, 作曲师从吴祖强、周文中和达维多夫斯基教授。她从1998年起至今任美国密苏里大学堪萨斯城校区音乐学院杰出讲座教授。曾于1993-96任美国妇女爱乐交响乐团、钱提克利尔男声合唱团和亚图斯创作艺术中心驻团作曲家，于1996-98任美国霍普金斯大学皮博迪音乐学院作曲教授。陈怡将东西方文化融汇贯通、创作出160余部体裁各异的音乐作品并录制于120多盘光碟在全球公开发行，并于2001年获美国艺术文学院颁发的艾夫斯作曲家大奖。三十多年来，她在社会上极力推展多样性和包容性的新音乐创作和妇女作曲家。她曾获得五所美国大学颁发的荣誉博士称号，并荣任中国多所音乐院校的客座教授。陈怡于2005年入选美国文理科学院院士並于2019年入选美国艺术文学院院士。