Music Beyond Boundaries - Marimba Festival & Women's Journeys in Leadership Forum
Co-hosted by NATEA-Silicon Valley, Tammy Chen Music Studio, and Valley Christian Schools Conservatory of the Arts
Sponsored by NCCU
Program:
15:00-16:00 - New Wave Marimba Concert
Experience the vibrant future of marimba performance in this inspiring concert featuring award-winning and emerging marimba artists. Showcasing works specially arranged and newly composed for the instrument, the program highlights the marimba's remarkable versatility, expressive depth, and expanding role in contemporary music. Audiences will enjoy an engaging musical journey that celebrates the artistry and innovation of one of the 21st century's most captivating instruments
16:00-17:30 - Women’s Journeys in Leadership Forum: A Panel Discussion
From music education to career success, accomplished women from Taiwan with diverse professional backgrounds will share how their musical training shapes their leadership style, career transitions, and personal success. The discussion will explore the lasting impact of music education beyond the concert stage
17:30-19:00 - Women Beyond Notes Concert
Celebrating the artistry, creativity, and achievements of outstanding women in percussion, this concert features the “Gotan” Marimba Quartet performed by distinguished artists from Taiwan in a compelling program of contemporary works. Highlights include the California premiere of The Bones of Chuang Tzu for timpani and multi-percussion by Christopher Deane, performed by Dr. I-Jen Fang. The evening also features a marimba concerto and virtuosic solo works performed by award-winning musicians, offering an inspiring showcase of innovation, excellence, and the boundless possibilities of percussion performance
The Line-Up:
Tammy Chen - Featured Artist, Concert Organizer
Tammy Chen is a Bay Area teacher, musician, radio show host, and arts leader whose work supports young musicians through performance, mentoring, and community engagement. Before moving to the United States, she performed as a percussionist with the Taipei Symphony, Taipei Percussion Group, Taipei Symphonic Band, and Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra
Tammy is deeply committed to student development and enjoys guiding students from weekly lessons to major performance opportunities, including Carnegie Hall winner concerts. Her studio has produced award-winning students in marimba solo, chamber music, concerto, and youth orchestra settings, reflecting her dedication to both musical excellence and long-term personal growth
I-Jen Fang - Featured Artist
Described by Fanfare Magazine as an “intrepid percussionist,” Dr. I-Jen Fang has built a multifaceted career as a solo performer, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She joined the University of Virginia Music Department faculty in 2005 and serves as Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of the Charlottesville Symphony
As a soloist, Dr. Fang has performed across Taiwan, the United States, Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and South Africa, and has appeared as a featured marimba soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony. Born in Taipei, she began piano at age six and percussion at age nine before coming to the United States at fifteen to pursue percussion performance
Ming-Hui Kuo - Featured Artist
Dr. Ming-Hui Kuo is an educator, marimbist, and percussionist whose work connects international performance, chamber music, and university teaching. She began percussion studies in Taiwan and later earned a Master of Music degree from Morehead State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from the University of Kentucky
Before her U.S. graduate studies, Dr. Kuo was an intern performing member of the Ju Percussion Group from 1993 to 2002, performing in more than 500 concerts and major productions, tours, festivals, and international performances across Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States. She is currently Assistant Professor of Percussion at DePauw University Institute of Music
Isabelle Hubbard - Featured Artist, Panelist
Isabelle Hubbard, also known as Huang Yuci, began her musical training at age three with piano and added percussion in elementary school. Music became her lifelong dream, leading her from Taiwan to the United States, where she earned advanced degrees in music, completed a doctorate, taught at the university level, and performed regularly in concert settings
After years of adjunct teaching and personal challenges, including divorce, single motherhood, and housing instability, she began building a new path in aviation. She became a flight attendant in 2014, invested years of savings into flight training, and eventually became a pilot for one of the three major U.S. airlines. Her journey from the concert hall to the cockpit offers students a powerful message of resilience, reinvention, and possibility
Jenny Lin - Panelist, NATEA-Silicon Valley
Jenny Lin, PhD, is a Full Professor of Marketing and MBA Academic Director whose career reflects the power of interdisciplinary learning and leadership. Her work in marketing, consumer behavior, and responsible business draws on earlier training in veterinary medicine and neuroscience, bringing scientific curiosity and a human-centered perspective to the study of decision-making and brands
A Fulbright Scholar to Taiwan alumna and President of NATEA Silicon Valley, Jenny is committed to building communities and creating opportunities for collaboration across cultures and sectors. Beyond academia and community leadership, she is also a pianist and cellist, and values music as a source of creativity, connection, and lifelong growth. Her journey reflects her belief that women’s leadership can be multidimensional—grounded in expertise, strengthened by diverse experiences, and enriched by the passions we carry throughout our lives
Yvonne Yang - Panelist, NATEA-Silicon Valley
Born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Yvonne grew up studying music in Taiwan’s music conservatory system, and obtained a college degree in piano performance from University of Oregon. Yvonne then switched to electrical and computer engineering at Oregon State University and that launched her career in high-tech
Yvonne is now a System Architect at a stealth startup in Portland, Oregon. She has 30 years of industry experience in development and validation of computing hardware, spanning from consumer devices to data centers at Intel and NVIDIA prior to joining the startup in July 2026
Yvonne is passionate about enabling others to reach their full potential in their life and career. To fulfill that passion, she dedicates time in mentoring and coaching, speaking at events, and serving leadership roles on various boards at non-profit organizations
In her spare time, Yvonne continues her music journey collaborating and performing with choirs, bands, soloists and churches
Sky Chu - Panel Moderator, NATEA-Silicon Valley