All she wanted was to make the listeners feel something. For Candice Chen, violinist, music was a way to express herself and she wanted to serve others with her talents. Her passion was helping others with autism and the announcement couldn’t have made her happier.. As she received the announcement by Music for Autism, she credited the greats before her for inspiring her artistic passions.
“I listened to CDs featuring Chopin’s works constantly on repeat, and thought to myself, ‘if recordings could make me feel my strongest feelings, I cannot wait to become an artist who could make audiences feel that way.” Chen said, “If I could communicate the unspoken to others, I would never feel alone, or misunderstood, because the music would say it all for me.”
Music for Autism recognized her not only for her musicianship but also for her devotion to the service of autistic individuals and their families.
“Music for Autism’s message resonates with me as a performer, teacher, and human who lives on the spectrum,” Chen said.
Candace Marie Chien is a graduate of The Juilliard School and performs regularly with chamber groups Alighieri Duo, a violin piano duo, and piano trio Trio Portinari. Her chamber music performances have taken her all over the east coast of the US, Canada, and Sweden, and has performed with members of the New York Philharmonic and Sydney Symphony.
“We absolutely treasure working with Candance Chien. Not only does she perform so brilliantly, but she is an incredible advocate and supporter of Music for Autism. She is incredibly deserving of this honor.” Ryan Gardner, Artist Coordinator for Music for Autism, said.