Katherine Chu, Coach

 

Pianist Katherine Chu has over two decades of experience in a variety of world-class settings. Ms. Chu was an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera from 1996 to 2006, and served as Director of Music Administration at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from 2011 to 2016.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra.

 

Ms. Chu was Musical Assistant to Seiji Ozawa for the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy from 2002 to 2012, and served as Mo. Ozawa’s chorus master at the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan from 2004 to 2007 where they have collaborated on numerous productions including IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, LA BOHÈME, CARMEN, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, DIE FLEDERMAUS, WOZZECK, DIE GURRELIEDER, ELEKTRA and ELIJAH.  

 

As coach and assistant conductor Ms. Chu has also worked at the Salzburg Festival, Teatro Municipal in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires Lirica in Argentina, Palm Beach Opera, the Philharmonia of Taiwan, and the Spoleto Festival. 

 

Ms. Chu received her training in the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Program, the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, and the Tanglewood Music Festival, and earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Temple University and Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.  Earlier in her career, she worked closely with the soprano Renata Scotto and served on teaching staff at the Scotto Opera Academy in Italy.  Ms. Chu was a Lecturer of Music at Yale University and the Juilliard Opera Center, and has been visiting faculty at the North Carolina School of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, Tokyo Music College, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  

 

Born in Taiwan of Sino-Vietnamese parents, Ms. Chu maintains close ties with Vietnam. She is the Artistic Advisor for the Hennessy Concert Series in Hanoi, sponsored by Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy, and manages a scholarship fund in Vietnam for classical music students.