Born in Mumbai, India, Young Steinway Artist Chelsea de Souza is currently a sophomore at the Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. She is pursuing a double degree with a BM in piano performance and vocal accompanying under Professor Peter Takács and a BA in Politics. Chelsea has won 4 All-India piano competitions, as well as the top prize in the International Piano Competition organized by the IIYM (International Institute for Young Musicians), Kansas, USA. She has been on 3 summer scholarships to Germany to study with Professor Sheila Arnold of the Hochschule für Musik, Köln, and has performed in concerts and festivals in India, USA, Germany and Belgium. She has played for and had masterclasses with many distinguished musicians, including Maestro Zubin Mehta, Pascal Roge´, Támás Vasary, Marc Neikrug and Maciej Piculski.
In addition to her solo performances, Chelsea also enjoys accompanying both singers and instrumentalists. She has accompanied some of India's best choirs at music festivals around the country, and is well-versed in accompanying and collaborating in many styles of music, including pop and jazz. She is also a passionate singer and an active music educator.