In a world overwhelmed by conflicting values and information overload, what force can truly cross languages and borders to touch the human spirit? For Andy Lin, the answer is music, a language that needs no translation, yet resonates universally.
Andy Lin, President of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter (WTCC JC), is not only an international musician who masterfully fuses viola and erhu, but also a new-generation changemaker working across performing arts, education, and international organizational development. He is a cross-cultural leader who connects the world through music and fosters mutual understanding across diverse communities.
In an exclusive interview with《The Icons》, the UK-based global leadership media platform, Lin emphasized that he is more than a performer, he is a cultural bridge, an international community builder, and a vocal advocate for shared values. He wants the world to understand that art should never be confined to an ivory tower, but must serve as a way to deeply engage with reality, a gentle force that helps society evolve and turn the page toward progress.
“My goal,” says Lin, “is to help people from different cultures see and understand each other through music, education, and mutually beneficial business. Together, we can imagine and create new futures.”
From Taiwan to New York, From Practice Room to Global Stage
When Andy Lin left Taiwan at the age of 12 to study abroad in the U.S., most kids were still exploring their interests, while he was already spending six hours a day in the practice room. “I grew up in rehearsal halls,” he says with a laugh, “but that also gave me the ability to communicate beyond language.”
“When you’re still struggling with English, music becomes your most direct language,” he recalls. “When I first arrived in the U.S. and felt a communication gap, I would just play my instrument for people.”
His musical dedication earned him a full scholarship to the Juilliard School, and later, a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. Along the way, he became the first—and so far only, musician in Juilliard’s history to perform concertos on both viola and erhu. From Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center, from classical solos to contemporary works, he has continually redefined his identity through music and reshaped what the stage can mean.
“My journey hasn’t followed the typical path of a concert musician,” he reflects. “Because early on, I realized that my true stage wasn’t just a concert hall, it was in the conversations between people, and between cultures.”
Embracing the World with Humility, A Different Kind of Practice for Artists
In 2008, inspired by a friend working at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Andy Lin began stepping beyond the music world and into the spheres of diplomacy, community building, and youth organizations. “What I came to understand is that to truly grasp a culture, appreciation alone isn’t enough—you have to participate. You have to throw yourself in.”
He describes that chapter as a process of “stepping out of the music bubble.” “As musicians, we often live in practice rooms. Life becomes a cycle of competitions, rehearsals, and performances. But I eventually realized that the world is vast, and if you want to make an impact, culture can’t just be broadcasted, it has to engage in dialogue. For artists, if we don’t learn how to converse with society and the world, the possibilities we can create will be very limited.”
In 2017, he and a group of New York friends revived the Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce of New York in just two months, treating organizational leadership as an extension of his artistic practice:
“I’m not a career politician or a typical entrepreneur. But I’m someone who knows how to listen, and how to bring people together,” Lin says.
“I believe that when we’re willing to start from our own culture, step into someone else’s world, and create a space where both can coexist, that’s when we begin writing the international language of our generation.”
Let Music Lead Diplomacy: Building a Shared Language Through Melody
Andy Lin’s music career has never been separate from “cultural diplomacy.” Beyond performing at international music festivals, he uses his music as a bridge to foster mutual understanding across cultures. In 2018, he was invited to perform in Busan, South Korea, where the presenter asked him to play the erhu, an iconic Chinese instrument, in place of the traditional Korean haegeum. (While both the erhu and haegeum are two-stringed bowed instruments, the haegeum lacks a qianjin, uses a soft bow, has no snakeskin resonator, and relies on the knuckles to press strings, contrasting with the erhu’s firm bow, snakeskin-covered resonator, and finger-pad technique.)
“That performance meant a lot to me,” Andy reflected. “I was standing in a space that wasn’t my native culture or language, yet I was able to engage with their cultural context in my own way.” The audience was Korean, the orchestra was local, yet together, they created a shared language through music.
This was more than just a performance, it was a moment of cultural diplomacy. Andy Lin recalls, “The deepest level of cultural exchange isn’t just performing for others, it’s inviting them into a conversation.”
He has also performed the U.S. national anthem on the erhu for four consecutive years at the NBA New York Knicks’ Lunar New Year games, making him one of the few erhu musicians to appear repeatedly on the NBA stage. “It’s symbolic,” he says, “but more importantly, it’s a gesture of belonging. We’re not just part of the Chinese community, we’re part of American culture too.”
Andy Lin: Social Engagement Is the Artist’s Responsibility, and a Dialogue with the World
During the height of the pandemic, music venues around the world closed their doors, and countless stages went dark. But for Andy Lin, this wasn’t a time for silence, it was a moment when culture needed to step up.
He didn’t retreat from the world. Instead, he stepped into it, using his sensitivity as a musician and his drive as an organizer to meet society’s real needs.
In the spring of that year, with New York streets deserted and supply chains in chaos, Andy launched Farm2Manhattan, an initiative that had nothing to do with music, at least on the surface. The platform connected struggling farmers with city restaurants in need of reliable produce, helping to address both food waste and supply gaps. It wasn’t a performance, it was a human ecosystem built on empathy and cooperation.
“This might not seem like music,” Andy says, “but to me, it’s part of being a musician. Our training isn’t just about technique, it’s about learning to listen. And when you know how to listen, you also know when to show up.”
He joined Concerts in Motion, a project that brings live music to isolated seniors. Musicians would perform via video, phone, or small in-home concerts, offering moments of companionship to those facing long days alone.
“I once played for an elderly man living alone,” Andy recalls. “After the last note, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said he hadn’t heard live music in years. That moment reminded me that music is more than art, it’s warmth, it’s connection, it’s hope.”
Beyond crisis response, Andy also turned his attention to the everyday needs of international students in New York. What started as a small group chat among friends sharing housing leads eventually grew into a 16,000 plus-member local platform known as the “NYC Housing Multiple-Choice Test.” It became a community helping students navigate rentals, avoid scams, and settle safely.
“Many new arrivals don’t speak the language or have big budgets. They’re vulnerable,” he explains. “Over the years I’ve helped mediate leases, match tenants, even fight for fair rent. People now call me the ‘The unofficial mayor of Taiwanese New Yorkers,’ which I never expected, but maybe this is the most practical form of cultural engagement I’ve ever done.”
For Andy Lin, the value of culture isn’t limited to stages or ivory towers. It lives in daily life, in moments of crisis, and in the places where people truly meet.
“Artists shouldn’t just be creators, we must be participants,” he says. “I don’t want to just play music to the world. I want to embrace it.”
Music Education: The Cultural Faith of the Future
In Andy Lin’s view, education has never been merely about passing down technique, it is a cultivation of culture and an awakening of the soul. Since 2005, he has dedicated himself to music education, entering classrooms, communities, and connecting with minds across generations. He firmly believes that the goal of teaching music is not to produce technically flawless performers, but to nurture empathetic, culturally literate individuals with emotional intelligence and depth.
“I’ve always had a dream,” he shares. “To plant seeds of kindness in children through music, wherever they are.” This belief is more than a slogan, it’s a conviction he has quietly upheld for years. Today, that vision has taken shape, beginning with the launch of a new music education center in Vietnam. Rooted in local culture and infused with global perspective, the center isn’t a talent academy or cram school for competitions. Instead, it’s a place that hopes to grow with its students, a space where music cultivates the soul and inspires character.
“Think of it like the YAMAHA music classes familiar to many in Taiwan,” he explains, “but instead of focusing on performance scores, we want children to learn how to concentrate, listen, and resonate with one another, so they can imagine a kinder, more powerful version of life through melody and rhythm.”
This vision also strongly aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—especially Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). For Lin, music isn’t merely a form of artistic training. It is a universal language that paves the way to a more just society, fostering civic awareness, promoting cultural understanding, and shaping a generation rooted in peace and responsibility.
As an associate director of the STUF United Fund, Lin has also served as an organizer of side events at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). His sustained efforts in advancing the UN’s SDG agenda earned him the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Award in 2023.
To him, real education isn’t about giving answers, it’s about lighting a fire in the soul. And music is that spark.
Starting from Southeast Asia, Planting Seeds of Culture for the World
Choosing Vietnam as one of the key starting points for his music education initiative stems from a deep observation of the region’s educational landscape. Over the past few years, Andy Lin has travelled across Southeast Asia and noticed a growing commitment among Vietnamese families to invest in education, particularly in cultivating global competencies in their children. Yet beyond academics and professional training, resources for nurturing emotional depth and cultural literacy through the arts remain scarce.
“Music is the most natural and profound form of inspiration,” Lin explains. “It needs no translation, yet it teaches a child what emotion is, what focus means, and how they connect to the world.”
In an era where AI is rapidly redefining careers and skills, Lin believes this kind of education is more essential than ever. “Many jobs will be replaced by AI—translators, customer service agents, even some technical artistic roles. But there are things AI can never replicate: human emotion, the energy of a live performance, and the transformative power of art.”
To him, music is more than aesthetic development, it’s the foundation of democratic citizenship. “A person who knows how to listen to others, and is willing to express themselves, is someone capable of being a true citizen. Music teaches not only rhythm and melody, but patience, respect, and empathy.”
He envisions future music classrooms not as spaces merely for technical instruction, but as incubators of cultural awareness and personal growth, a place where children can discover both the world and themselves.
“This isn’t just about building a music school,” Lin says. “It’s a generational mission, about culture, education, and human values. Performing arts are the language of the soul, and perhaps the last space where, in the face of overwhelming technology, we can still hold on to warmth and creativity.”
Don’t Wait for the Perfect Start, Begin Your Journey Now
As a globally engaged youth leader, musician, and cross-cultural advocate, Andy Lin has travelled across continents and regularly engages with young people from diverse backgrounds. What he observes is a common thread: many young people, caught at the crossroads of dreams and reality, feel unprepared, unqualified, or uncertain. To them, he often smiles and says:
“Don’t wait for the perfect starting point, because that day will never come.”
He is living proof of that truth. Andy admits he never planned to become President of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter, to manage projects that reached the UN level, or to connect farmers with city restaurants during the pandemic. He didn’t follow a textbook path, nor did he have a clear roadmap. Instead, he simply chose not to run away when opportunities appeared, and kept walking forward, powered by what he calls his naturally optimistic soul.
“A lot of things look like coincidences, but they’re really the accumulation of choices. Life doesn’t need a preset formula, it gradually takes shape through every sincere commitment.”
Andy believes the leaders of this generation aren’t commanders from above, but rather those who stand among people—who help others see one another, believe in each other, and move forward together.
“Leadership has never been about showcasing power, it’s about carrying responsibility,” he says.
“True leadership isn’t about obedience. It’s about trust. It’s about how you listen, how you understand, and how you help a team, or even a community, walk further and stronger together.”
One day, you’ll realise: what truly matters isn’t titles or applause, but the legacy you leave behind.
“When people say, ‘He was here, and things changed because of him,’ that’s what leadership is really about.”
It’s a message Andy often shares with young people, and one that resonates deeply with anyone navigating uncertainty:
“Everything worthwhile begins not with certainty, but with the choice to believe.”
“Because if you believe, you will see.”
New Asia Chamber Music Society: Bringing Asian Voices into the Global Musical Dialogue
In 2010, Andy Lin co-founded the New Asia Chamber Music Society (NACMS) in New York with three fellow Taiwanese musicians, creating a platform for emerging artists transitioning from academia to the professional stage.
“We wanted to create more opportunities for Asian musicians to be heard and to express themselves,” Lin shared. “Though we began with a Taiwanese core, our vision from the start was to build an international platform representing the cultural vitality of Asia.”
At the heart of NACMS is the fusion of Eastern and Western artistic languages. The ensemble not only performs high-level Western classical chamber works but also actively collaborates with performers of traditional Asian instruments such as the erhu, pipa, and haegeum. Through cross-disciplinary partnerships with dancers, visual artists, and multimedia creators, NACMS continues to push the boundaries of sonic and visual storytelling.
Their debut sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in 2011 marked the beginning of a journey that has since brought them to Lincoln Center, Kaufman Music Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ellis Island, Queens Museum, and community spaces from Flushing to Taiwanese university campuses—bridging the gap between performance halls and everyday life.
Beyond formal performances, NACMS promotes salon-style concerts and “Between the Bars” lecture series, bringing chamber music into intimate, interactive settings. The group has collaborated with world-class musicians such as violinist Cho-Liang Lin, pianists Orion Weiss and Zhang Fang, and worked across disciplines with Peridance, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and the Paraguay Cultural Festival.
Notably, their 2018 concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Paraguay exemplified their role as cultural ambassadors.
NACMS has been praised by the New York Concert Review as “an ensemble of professional, highly gifted young musicians” and has received the Huang Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a grant from New Music USA.
For Andy Lin, the Society is more than a musical endeavor, it is a commitment to community and connection:“Our mission isn’t just to perform,” Lin affirms. “We aim to build a platform where music and community meet, where chamber music continues to shine as a force of cultural understanding and emotional connection in this generation.”
Andy Lin: What Remains Is More Than Sound, It’s a Way of Reaching the World
“Don’t let others define who you are,” Andy Lin shared with The Icons team at the end of the interview. “I simply believe that as long as I’m willing to step out, culture will guide me somewhere deeper.”
Andy Lin is not just a musician on stage, nor merely a youth leader in international organizations. He is someone who constantly engages in dialogue, with people, with the world—through culture. A translator of beliefs into action. His path has never followed a conventional script, but it is deeply real and profoundly human. Whether stepping into communities, education, or overlooked gaps in society, he proves, with every note he plays and every step he takes—that culture isn’t an abstract ideal locked in an ivory tower, but a forward-looking, tangible force that accompanies the world toward something better.
“Everything I do is not to glorify myself,” he says, “but to leave behind a little more space in this diverse world for people to understand one another.”
That is his tenderness, and his resolve.
Andy Lin walks a path with no preset template. Yet wherever he goes, people begin to believe, because of his presence:
Change can indeed begin with the voice inside one person’s heart.
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