A native of Northern California, Dagenais Smiley
earned her bachelor of music degree at Oberlin
Conservatory as a student of Milan Vitek and her master’s degree
from University of Southern California under the instruction of
Kathleen Winkler. She is proud to have worked under notable
conductors such as Leon Fleisher, David Zinman, Robert Spano,
Michael Tilson Thomas, and John Williams. She has participated in
master classes given by Yuval Yaron, Kathleen Winkler, Alexander
Barantschik, Fritz Gearhart, the Calder Quartet, and Glenn
Dicterow.
New England Conservatory of Music, Master of Music (2001)
UC Davis Lecturer in Music I-Hui Chen is a
compelling pianist who seamlessly radiates her music and thoughts
to the audience. Critics consider her musicality to be honest and
direct, reflecting the composer’s original intentions, yet
retaining her own creative individuality. In addition to her role
as a solo performer, she is a dedicated teacher to young
musicians and an experienced collaborative pianist.
