Profile of Xiye Chen

Written by Violeta Vilchis

Xiye Chen is a three-year senior in Classical Performance, majoring in double bass. He is part of the IAA Orchestra, and is currently preparing to audition in October for the “Imagine US” tour with Yo-Yo Ma, which will take place in March. 

One of Xiye’s favorite parts about the double bass is that it has a close community; at IAA, the bassists all feel connected. Outside of IAA, every two years, conferences are held with bassists from across the world meeting in various cities with workshops available. There is also a mutual understanding between teachers and students about the size of the instrument, with teachers loaning a double bass for students that can’t bring theirs to audition locations. Initially, Xiye said, “I came [to Michigan] two years ago for a competition in Ann Arbor,” where he met one of the music teachers from IAA that helped advertise the school.

Some academic classes Xiye is taking this year are IU: Biology with Ms. Reyes and Physics with Mr. Heldereth. He believes these are interesting classes alongside Current Events and Journalism. 

Stepping away from classes, his favorite spot on campus is the lakeside near Stone Cafeteria. This is because of the view—specifically how nice the sunset looks from the lakeside. While his home is in Shanghai, China, during breaks he lives with a host family in Michigan with two cats…despite being allergic to cats!