Melba Recordings

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Ray Chen (Violin)

Winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition (2009) and the Yehudi Menuhin Competition (2008), Ray Chen is among the most compelling young violinists today. His recent performances, including debut recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D. C. and the Merkin Hall in New York, have enraptured both the audiences and the critics. “Ray Chen can do pretty much anything he wants on the violin” (Anne Midgette, The Washington Post). “His whole performance was out of this world” (Elise Simoens, De Standaard).

Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, Ray Chen was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 15, where he continues to work with Aaron Rosand on expanding his repertoire.

Mr Chen plays the “Huggins” Stradivarius, on loan from The Nippon Music Foundation, and the 1721 Stradivarius known as “The Macmillan”, provided as part of the award for winning the 2008-09 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.

Mr Chen’s performance of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto became the much discussed highlight of the 2009 Aspen Music Festival. Maestro Vengerov, who met Mr Chen while serving on the jury of the Menuhin Competition in Cardiff, immediately engaged him to perform with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in St Petersburg as well as at the opening concert of the next Menuhin Competition in April 2010 in Oslo. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Ray Chen since his triumph at the Yehudi Menuhin Competition”, says Maxim Vengerov. “Ray has proven himself to be a very pure musician with great qualities such as a beautiful youthful tone, vitality and lightness. He has all the skills of a truly musical interpreter.”

Ray Chen’s upcoming engagements include a performance with the Taipei Symphony at this year’s World Expo in Shanghai, a North American orchestral debut with the New Jersey Symphony as well as concerts with the Orchestre National de Lille, Deutsche Symphonie Berlin and Sydney Symphony. Mr Chen will also be the featured soloist of the Rostropovich Festival in Moscow.

Ray Chen’s debut recording for Melba will feature Stravinsky works for violin and piano, with pianist Timothy Young.

 

2011 Schedule

January 29            San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco USA

February 4             Pacific Symphony, Orange County USA

February 10-12     Sydney Symphony, Sydney Australia

February 27           St. Stephen's Concert Series, Durham USA

March 6                  La Jolla Music Society, La Jolla USA

March 12                Music for Youth, Westport USA

April 16                   St. Vincent College, Latrobe USA

April 27                   Union College, Schenectady USA

April 30                   Friends of Music, Westchester USA

June 14-July 25    Bowdoin Festival, Bowdoin USA

August 26              Ravinia Festival; Bennett Gordon Hal, Chicago USA

December 2-3  Cincinatti SO; Ascent Series, Cincinatti US

Several months after its release, Ray Chen’s already acclaimed debut recording on Melba, Stravinsky-Diversions, is continuing to attract glowing reviews from international critics. Leading American...
Ray Chen is on the path towards a brilliant musical career, writes Philippa Hawker in The Age newspaper.
Winning the Queen Elisabeth music competition in Belgium in May hardly allowed Brisbane violinist Ray Chen to rest on his laurels. WINNING the Queen Elisabeth music competition in Belgium in May...

Ray Chen

Discography

Ray Chen's debut recording, accompanied by another fast-emerging Australian talent, pianist Timothy Young.