Taiwanese violinist Shih-Hsien Tsai started his musical training at the age of six. After a bachelor’s degree in viola at the Tainan National University of the Arts (2014, Taiwan) with Prof. Nai-Yueh Chang, he went to the Netherlands to study with Nobuko Imai and the Quatuor Danel at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA). He completed his master’s degree in viola with a 9.5 and distinction. In May 2019 he completed the Postgraduate course at the Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA) with an excellent note. From 2019-2020 Shih-Hsien studied at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Media in Hanover with Professor Oliver Wille. (master string quartet)

Shih-Hsien Tsai is a prize winner of the Taiwan Student Competition (junior in 2005, senior in 2008 and 2010), among others. In 2015 he won second prize at the National Viola Competition in Amsterdam and second prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb Berlin (2020 string quartet).

Sam Tsai has performed at festivals worldwide, both as a soloist and with chamber music ensembles; in France, China, Japan, Taiwan, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. He played Bach’s Brandenburg concerto No.6 and Stamitz’s Viola concerto at the Festival Musique en Ré (France), Vivaldi’s Concerto for viola d’amore and lute, RV 540, with the Taiwan Artist Ensemble, Carl Maria von Webers Andante e rondo ongarese with the Ministry of National Defense Symphony Orchestra, Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for strings op. 47 with the Salut Taiwan Festival Orchestra.

Shih-Hsien arranged several works for string quartet and viola ensemble. In 2017 he arranged a series of Dutch songs for string quartet for a King’s Day event on the occasion of the 50th birthday of King Willem-Alexander in the Palace on Dam Square, to which he and his ensemble were invited.