Yi-Shien Lien was born in Taiwan where she began cello studies at age ten and won the first prize of the National Cello Competition at age 17. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of John’s Hopkins University where she studied cello with Stephen Kates. In 2003, she completed her Doctoral Degree of Musical Arts at the University of Maryland as a Graduate Assistant, under the tuition of Evelyn Elsing, David Hardy, and the Guarneri Quartet. She has played in master classes of Janos Starker, Orlando Cole and Wen-Sinn Yang. In 1999 she was the winner of the Homer Ulrich Honors Award in Solo Performance in. Since 2001 she has been the associate cello principal in National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan.