Chen Jie

Making her Hong Kong Philharmonic debut in the upcoming 2010 National Day Concert, 24 year-old Jie Chen was chosen by the KDFC Classical Music Station of America as one of the world’s “2008 Top 30 under 30”，together with Lang Lang and Yundi Li being the only three artists selected from China. Praised by Singapore’s “Straits Times” for her Esplanade recital as a “serious artist who despite her youth and demure manner, showed why Asian pianists are conquering the world stages.” The New York Times wrote, “she has shown she is more than a virtuosic clone,” critic at the Gilmore Rising Stars Series wrote, “Chen displayed almost frightening technical capabilities wedded to superior musicality.” The Harretz of Israel published a special feature on her titled “A star is born!”

Most recently named “Face for Classical Music 2010” by Vogue Magazine, Ms. Chen received Bachelor Degree from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and Master Degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York. Top Prize Winner of international competitions including the “Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master” in Israel, the “Santander Paloma O’Shea” in Spain, the “Van Cliburn” in America, “The Villa-Lobos” in Brazil, the “Animato” in Paris, the “Piano-E-International” in Minnesota, “The Washington International Piano Competition” in D.C. She has been featured on the Italian National Television Network "RAIUNO", German Radio "MDR", Israel National Television, “CCTV” of China, National Television of Spain, "Performance Today" of the National Public Radio, TVB of Hong Kong, as well as major newspapers worldwide including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, New York Times, Star Tribune, World Journal, El Diario, the Arbendzeitung, The Nueva Espana, The Straits Time, The Financial Times.

Ms. Chen made her orchestral debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch at 16, solo recital debut in Carnegie hall at 18, released her first album at 19. Frequent soloist with major orchestras and conductors including the Israel Philharmonic, Warsaw Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra,etc. Maestro Neemi Jarvi, Osmo Vanska, Peter Csaba, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, John Neschling, Enrique Batiz, Long Yu, Zuo-Huang Chen, Tan Dun, etc.

Ms. Chen has given critically acclaimed solo recitals in the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in D.C. the Herkulessaal in Munich, The Louvre Museum in Paris, the Ravinia Music Festival in Chicago, the Gilmore Music Festival in Kalamazoo, The Forbidden City Music Hall in Beijing, the Esplanade in Singapore, the Tokyo Opera House, The National Concert Hall in Taipei, etc.

Keen on promoting Chinese Musical Culture and collaborating with Chinese Musicians, Ms. Chen devoted her second album to Chinese Piano Solo Works, which was released under NAXOS to great critical acclaim as “a big step in making Chinese music into mainstream program in the world.” Her composition debut, which was also Chinese Themed, the “Butterfly Lover Piano Concerto”, was premiered this past May in Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts for the original Violin concerto’s 50 yrs anniversary concert, with Ms. Chen herself as the piano soloist. Immediately invited to premier the same work in Taiwan in the past October and Guangzhou this coming Feburary, as well as its recording planned in the coming fall, Ms. Chen’s original score is now inside Shanghai Conservatory’s Library, as the youngest member of the historical collection of all important contemporary Chinese Composer’s original scores.

An avid chamber musician, Ms. Chen performes with the Takacs Quartet of Hungary, the Ysaye Quartet of France, the Aviv Quartet of Israel, and Hong Kong Cellist Trey Lee. Her passion for teaching has brought her to numerous masterclasses alongside her concertizing travels, her writings has been published by the “Music Learner” and “National Center for the Performing Arts” Magazines.