“With the command and energy of a soccer star,” Chia-Hsuan Lin (“jah-shwen”) electrifies concert halls with performances that are as precise as they are passionate. Whether leading Brahms and Bartok or fresh voices like Ke-Chia Chen and Texu Kim, her concerts are celebrated for their emotional depth, exquisite ensemble, and rhythmic fluidity.

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As the Music Director of the Rochester Symphony (MN), Lin has invigorated the orchestra, contributing to a surge in subscriptions. She also serves as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Richmond Symphony and will open the Richmond Symphony’s 2025–26 subscription series with Bizet’s Carmen and Schumann’s Konzertstück featuring the American Horn Quartet as soloists. This season, Lin looks forward to debuts with the National Philharmonic, Alexandria Symphony, Virginia Chamber Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, and Kalamazoo Symphony and returning to the Orlando Philharmonic and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

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A sought-after guest conductor, Lin's diverse repertoire includes engagements with the Saint Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Portland Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Richmond Ballet, and Taipei Philharmonic Chorus. In January 2025, she was selected by the National Symphony Orchestra to be mentored by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and showcased in their Emerging Conductors Concert. Lin frequently serves as a Cover Conductor with esteemed ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic during their 2025 and 2026 Bravo! Vail residency, and she has worked with orchestras including the Opéra de Rouen Normandie and others, alongside conductors like Gianandrea Noseda, Thomas Søndergård, and Osmo Vänskä.

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Lin's previous roles as Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony and Assistant Conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic highlighted her versatility across various musical styles, from Classics to live-with-film to cross-genre collaborations. Critic Clark Bustard praised her interpretation of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony with the Richmond Symphony as a compelling live performance.

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In 2019, Lin was acclaimed as a last-minute replacement in the Williamsburg Symphony’s performance of Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, leading to a top-drawer and absorbing interpretation as reported by the Virginia Gazette.

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An advocate for the next generation of musical talent, Lin has collaborated with award-winning artists Blake Pouliot, Paul Huang, Sterling Elliot, Amaryn Olmeda, Kevin Zhu, Inna Faliks, and Eduardo Rojas. Her premieres showcase new music that often transcends classical boundaries, featuring works by Abel Selaocoe, Marius Neset, Texu Kim, Ke-Chia Chen, and others.

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A passionate educator, Lin has worked with multiple university orchestras and previously served as Music Director of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, University of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of Opera at the CCM Spoleto Music Festival in Italy. Her innovative projects as interim Music Director of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland include collaborations with American mandolinist Chris Thile and singer-songwriter Michael Stanley.

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Beginning piano lessons in Taiwan at the age of three, Lin majored in percussion at the National Taiwan Normal University while playing with the Taipei Percussion Group. A life-altering car incident led her to pursue conducting with Apo Hsu and Mark Gibson. She earned her Doctorate of Orchestral Conducting at Northwestern University in Chicago with Victor Yampolsky. Lin lives in Baltimore with her husband, horn player James Ferree.