About Renee Chiu
Taiwanese-Hispanic organist Renee Chiu uses music to build bridges across cultures and across continents. This past summer, she founded and directed two summer music camps as part of the All Kids Need Music project. The first camp was for refugees in Provo, Utah, and the second was for victims of domestic abuse in Hualien, Taiwan. She not only was the recipient of a $15,000 grant from the Laycock Foundation, but also personally fundraised over $10,000 for these projects. An interview about her projects will be used in English-learning materials published by the State Department.
In addition to serving as the Music Director at Utah Valley Refugees, Renee is an accomplished concert organist, church organist, concert pianist, choir accompanist, jazz pianist, improviser, composer, and educator.
Renee is certified as both a Colleague and Associate of the American Guild of Organists. She currently serves as the principal organist at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Provo and accompanies 10,000+ students during BYU campus-wide devotionals every quarter.
As an educator, Renee manages a private piano studio of 20 students in the Provo/Orem area. She also served as a volunteer representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Taipei, Taiwan from 2019-2020. Upon returning to the United States, she taught Mandarin Chinese at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.
Renee Chiu graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree of Organ Performance from Brigham Young University. Her teachers include Dr. Don Cook, Dr. Neil Harmon, and Harold Stuart. She is the recipient of the American Guild of Organists San Jose Frasier Scholarship, university- and nation-wide Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society scholarships, and numerous Brigham Young University scholarships.
Renee's presentations during the 2023-2024 season include the Curriculum Development Collective 2023 Social Impact Conference, the Utah Music Teacher's Association 2023 Conference, and the American Guild of Organists 2024 National Convention. She is currently a candidate for a Master's of Organ Performance at Brigham Young University. She intends to eventually earn a Doctoral Degree of Music Teaching and Learning.