Biography

Percussionist Ja Hsieh is the Founder and the Music Director of Cha Cha Percussion located in Santa Clara, California. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Washington where he studied percussion with Prof. Tom Collier. Dr. Hsieh was a recipient of the Boeing Endowed Fellowship for Excellence in Music as well as the Jane and David Davis Endowed Fellowship in Music. He earned a Master of Fine Arts and a BFA in Percussion Performance at TNUA from his native country, Taiwan. Hsieh’s two percussion albums: Lambada and Bach on Vibraphone can be found on all major digital streaming platforms.

As an active musician, Hsieh’s notable performances include his percussion recital at Visual & Performing Arts Center at De Anza College in 2017, percussion recital at Trianon Theatre in San Jose in 2015, solo vibraphone recital at Trianon Theatre in 2012, vibraphone recital at the National Recital Hall in Taiwan in 2011, and percussion recital at the Santa Clara University Recital Hall in 2010. He also performed Bela Bartok’s Sonata for Two Piano and Percussion at Carnegie Hall in New York, Michael Daugherty's Raise the Roof (Timpani Concerto) with UWWE at Meany Hall in Seattle, and Steve Reich’s percussion works with Frank Cassara (the Philip Glass Ensemble) in Taiwan in 2009. In addition, Hsieh also gave a solo percussion recital at Novel Hall in Taiwan in 2006, performed British composer James Wood’s masterpiece Stoicheia with Amadinda Percussion Group in Budapest, Hungary in 2002, performed and recorded French composer Francois-Bernard Mâche’s work Le Printemps du Serpent, and toured with Les Percussions de Strasbourg in France in 2001.

Prior coming to the U.S., Hsieh was a member of the Ju Percussion Group. His ensemble performed at festivals including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in the U.S. (2000, ‘03), Journees de la Percussion in France (‘03), the Budapest Spring Festival in Hungary (‘02), the Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Russia (‘03), the Queensland Music Festival in Australia (‘02), the World Exposition in Japan (‘05) and the Taipei International Percussion Convention in Taiwan (‘99, ‘02, ‘06). Hsieh has also performed with numerous groups and artists, such as the Amadinda Percussion Group (Hungary), Les Percussions de Strasbourg (France), the Amores Percussion Group (Spain), the Taichung City Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan), the Kaohsiung City Chinese Orchestra (Taiwan), the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Cupertino Symphonic Band, working with performers including Ney Rosauro, Michael Burritt, Keiko Abe, Steve Houghton, and Zoltán Rácz.

Prior coming to the U.S., Hsieh was a member of the Ju Percussion Group. His ensemble performed at festivals including the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in the U.S. (2000, ‘03), Journees de la Percussion in France (‘03), the Budapest Spring Festival in Hungary (‘02), the Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Russia (‘03), the Queensland Music Festival in Australia (‘02), the World Exposition in Japan (‘05) and the Taipei International Percussion Convention in Taiwan (‘99, ‘02, ‘06). Hsieh has also performed with numerous groups and artists, such as the Amadinda Percussion Group (Hungary), Les Percussions de Strasbourg (France), the Amores Percussion Group (Spain), the Taichung City Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan), the Kaohsiung City Chinese Orchestra (Taiwan), the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Cupertino Symphonic Band, working with performers including Ney Rosauro, Michael Burritt, Keiko Abe, Steve Houghton, and Zoltán Rácz.

In addition to performing, he has also appeared in CD and DVD recordings including Le Printemps du Serpent, The Wave, Thrill Show, Percussion Portrait and The Traveling Notes. As a composer, his percussion arrangements and compositions include All The Things You Are (arr. for Vibes ), Wood Tells, Autumn Leaves (arr. for Vibes and Marimba), Energy, Leaving Canon, Gasoline Can, Voyage, San José, Easy Drum Easy Play, and Box.