A native of Taiwan, and currently based in the Baltimore-Washington metro area, Ko-En Shih is a violinist and educator who performs in a variety of musical styles ranging from classical to jazz. With nearly five years of private teaching experience between Taiwan and Maryland, her teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that no two students are the same and Ko-En strives to create individualized learning objectives geared toward success. Outside of private lessons, other specific teaching experience has included summer camps as well as internships at Veterans Elementary School, Henderson Hopkins K-8 School, and Baltimore School for the Arts.
As a child, Ko-En grew up in a home filled with music. She began piano lessons in first grade and picked up the violin within a year. A graduate of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and in just five years’ time, Ko-En earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in violin performance as well as a Teaching Certificate. While at Peabody, her primary instrumental studies were under the guidance of world-renowned violinist Keng-Yuen Tseng. She was a recipient of the Fanny B. Thalheimer General Scholarship. Throughout her formative years, Ko-En participated in a variety of musical activities including attendance at the Soesterburg International Summer Festival in the Netherlands, Casalmaggiore Summer Festival of Italy, and the Castleman Quartet Program in Fredonia, New York.
After a six month return to Taiwan, Ko-En decided in 2016 to further develop her versatility as a musician by enrolling in the Jazz Studies Department at the Peabody Institute. In just three semesters, she successfully earned a graduate performance diploma in Jazz Violin, studying improvisation under the guidance of acclaimed saxophonist Gary Thomas. Ko-En maintains a very active performance schedule, including work for Crack the Sky, the First Lady of the State of Maryland, Symphony Number One, the Apollo Orchestra featuring soloist Cho-Liang Lin, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as well as presenting recitals in both the United States and Taiwan. These factors have all helped advance Ko-En’s musical abilities and she is looking forward to continuing to grow, develop, and learn as both a musician and educator.