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Zhen Chen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1985 Qinhuangdao, China |
| Genres | Classical, World |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, Composer, Music Educator |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Labels | Solo Musica, Navona Records, MSR Classics |
Zhen Chen (Chinese中文: 陈震) is a multi-award winning Chinese pianist-composer based in New York, USA.
Education[edit]
Zhen Chen was born in Qinhuangdao,China in 1985. He started formal studies in piano at the age of four and had begun performance on public stages at the age of seven and emerged as a prodigy player in regional and national piano competitions in China. After receiving a bachelor's degree in piano performance from the Central Conservatory of Music, Zhen went to New York City to pursue a master's degree in piano performance under Dr.Arkady Aronov at Manhattan School of Music, where he also consecutively earned a master's degree in collaborative piano/chamber music with Dr.Heasook Rhee.
Career[edit]
Zhen Chen has performed as a soloist and chamber music artist at prominent music venues in USA, Europe, and China, such as Carnegie's Stern Auditorium, Weill Recital Hall, David Geffen Hall of the Lincoln Center, Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, and the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing and the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall. His live performances and recordings have been broadcasted by Chicago WFMT 98.7 [1], Princeton WPRB 103.3 [2] WCNY Classic FM [3], and China Central Television [4], among others.
Zhen has worked with prominent violinists Maxim Vengerov, Cho-Liang Lin [5] , and outstanding instrumentalists of the New York Philharmonic[6] and the Orchestra of Metropolitan Opera in concert and recording engagements. He is an official collaborative pianist of the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (SISIVC)[7]and the International Music Competition Harbin (IMCH). He has recorded classical repertories on German label Solo Musica and US label MSR Classics.
Zhen wears another hat as a performer-composer who bridges Eastern and Western sensibility and musicality. His cross-culture and cross-genre composition works were crystallized in the albums ERGO: New Music for Piano and Chinese Folk Instruments (Navona/Naxos, 2017)[8] and On & Between: New Music for Pipa and Western Ensembles (Navona/Naxos, 2018)[9]. The latter won the Gold Medal of Global Music Awards for Best Show top honor, Best Album, and Best Instrumentalists.[10] Zhen also scored for movie productions, such as Carry Tiger To Mountain and Don't Write Me Off.[11]
As an avid recording artist, Mr. Chen has been a voting member of the Grammys (The Recording Academy) since 2017.
He joined both the piano and the chamber music faculty of Manhattan School of Music Precollege in 2022 [12] and was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023.
Discography[edit]
In 2014, after Zhen Chen's win of the first prize of Artur Balsam Competition for Duos in New York City with violinist Shuai Shi, a protégé of eminent violinist Pinchas Zukerman, as the Jade Duo, American label MSR CLASSICS released Zhen Chen's recording titled Fauré , Schumann, Bartók Sonatas for Violin and Piano.[13] This debut recording received raved reviews by classical music connoisseurs. Steven Ritter with Audiophile Audition wrote, “It shouldn’t work at all, coupling these composers together, but the results are amazing... by some miracle the Jade Duo’s brilliance in coming to terms with the notion of this conglomeration was inspired from on high if anything ever was...I was little prepared for the bold and almost throwback nature of these readings. They don’t shirk on big-band presentation, and are not afraid of wearing each composer quite heart-on-sleeve...” [14]
In 2017, American label Navona Records released Zhen Chen's original composition work named Ergo.[8] It contains ten pieces for piano and Chinese folk music instruments, such as Pipa and Erhu that renders a spiritual and intimate musical experience that fuses eastern and western musical sensibilities. The exquisite music video of Turpan Tango, a piece included in this recording has become an sensation that garnered nearly one million views across videos sharing platforms, such as Facebook[15] and YouTube [16]. Another piece named Longing in the recording has been commissioned to be in the soundtracks of the movie short Carry Tiger to Mountain by director Rajiv Shah.[17]
In 2018, Navona Records continuously released another original composition by Zhen Chen that explores new possibilities by weaving traditional Chinese music instruments and folk tone with Pipa and Western style chamber music. The recording is named ON & BETWEEN[9], an immigrant's musical and emotional journey of home-seeking and assimilation in the United States. American Record Guide commends Zhen's composition "appealing emotionally."[18] This recording won won the Gold Medal of Global Music Awards for Best Show top honor, Best Album, and Best Instrumentalists.[10]
In 2019, his recording Brahms: The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano in collaboration with Elmira Darvarova[19], former concertmaster of the Orchestra of Metropolitan Opera, was released by German label Solo Musica and distributed by Sony Music and received plaudits from listeners and critics worldwide.[20] [21] Spain classical music magazine RITMO praised this recording as an “exceptional expressive flight to the height of classic interpretations of this [Brahms’] music.” [22]
References[edit]
- ^ "Chicago WFMT98.7 Live Cast Recording". YouTube.
- ^ "WPRB Princeton 103.3 FM Classical Discoveries".
- ^ "Diane Jones On The Air". Facebook.
- ^ "Graceful Chinese Folk Music show on China Central Television".
- ^ ""On The Roof" Music from the album On & Between". Spotify.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Artist". Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition Press Release" (Press release).
- ^ a b ""Ergo" The Album Page on Parma Recordings".
- ^ a b ""On & Between" Album Page".
- ^ a b "Global Music Awards Winners Lists".
- ^ "Zhen Chen's credits in IMDB Database". IMDb.
- ^ "Zhen Chen's bio on Manhattan School of Music Website". Manhattan School of Music.
- ^ "MS1510 FAURE, SCHUMANN & BARTÓK Sonatas for Violin and Piano". 14 March 2011.
- ^ "Audiophile Audition Classical CD Reviews". 28 May 2015.
- ^ "Classical Music to Go Facebook Page". Facebook.
- ^ "Turpan Tango Music Video on Zhen Chen's official Youtube Channel". YouTube.
- ^ "Zhen Chen's movie music credit on IMDB". IMDb.
- ^ "American Record Guide review clip".
- ^ "Elmira Darvarova Official Webstie". Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Heute, Klassik. "Brahms". Klassik Heute (in German).
- ^ "BERLIN / Pianosalon Christophori: Brahms Violinsonaten - DARVAROVA, CHEN". Online Merker (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Ritmo (Spain) CD Reviews".