Mia Tsai

Taiwanese cellist Mia (Chou-Li) Tsai enjoys a diverse and fulfilling life in music. Ms. Tsai has had a passion for chamber music and teaching for most of her life. She began her musical education on the piano at the age of three and soon after discovered her love for the cello. An active performer, Ms. Tsai enjoys performing music ranging from Classical to Jazz and collaborating with artists from different genres. She has recently collaborated with such renowned musicians as William Preucil, Invoke String Quartet, Laura Bossert, and Terry King. Ms. Tsai has held principal positions in the Lyrica Chamber Orchestra, Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, Longy School of Music Conservatory Orchestra, Tainan University of Technology Orchestra and Baroque Ensemble, and Chiayi Chih-Yin music ensemble. Ms. Tsai has also performed at festivals such as Musikalischer Sommer Ostfriesland Festival in Germany and LyricaFest Chamber Music Festival in Lincoln, MA. She currently serves as the principal cellist of the MIT Summer Philharmonic under George Ogata. 

As a teacher, Ms. Tsai aims to help her students enjoy the journey of learning music and discovering their passion for telling their own musical stories. As music reflects life, Ms. Tsai encourages her students to apply what they learn through their musical experiences into other applicable areas of their lives. Her current students are of all ages and levels, and she devotes much of her time to teaching at the La Casita Cultural Center in Syracuse, NY. She has been a devoted instructor for many years and holds a Suzuki Teaching Certification. 

Ms. Tsai received her Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance at Tainan University of Technology under Professors Chia-Min Chen and Ting-Wei Chen. She recently completed her Master of Music Degree studying with Professor Terry King at Syracuse University, where she taught as a graduate Teaching Assistant.