Shao-chin Chien, born in Taiwan, has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Taipei Municipal Teachers College in Taiwan. She earned both her Master of Music degree in viola performance and her Doctor of Music Arts degree in viola performance and with music education as a cognate from the University of Miami.  She has been the Teaching Assistant of the viola studio of Pamela McConnell and the primary teacher of the Strings for Kids Program of the Frost School of Music of the University of Miami since 2001.  In 2003 she was named the Coordinator of the Strings for Kids Program.  She was the first prize winner of the viola competition in Taoyuan, Taiwan in 1998 and the second prize winner of the piano competition in Taoyuan, Taiwan in 1999.  In 2001 she was awarded second prize in the American String Teachers Association competition in Miami.  She has performed throughout south Florida  with such orchestras as the Miami Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Florida Classical Orchestra, Florida Sunshine Pop Orchestra, Florida New Philharmonic Orchestra, Miami Bach Society, and Palm Beach Opera. She has participated in master-classes with Toby Apel, Roberto Diaz, the Emerson String Quartet, and the Turtle Island String Quartet.  Her teaching experience includes general music classes at the elementary school level in Taiwan. She currently teaches from Kindergarten through undergraduate programs at Westminster Christian School, West Laboratory School, and University of Miami as the viola/violin instructor.  Chien has taught in Miami Dade College as a violin instructor and has been recently named the feature viola instructor of Barry University.