New England Conservatory (NEC) awarded Mei-Ann Chen with the third Marylou Speaker Churchill Award on March 22, 2025. The award acknowledges a teacher and orchestral figure who “reflects Churchill’s qualities as a human being, educator, and musician.” Churchill, who served as a NEC College and Preparatory program faculty member for 28 years and as Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal second violinist for 23 years, was one of Chen’s first teachers in the United States.

"For this year’s Musical America Professionals of the Year, we asked our readers to nominate 'key influencers.' These are the folks who are making a difference in our business, either by virtue of their position, their creativity, and/or their dedication—people about whom you could say, 'When they speak, we listen.'” - Musical America