Jie Chen (pianist)

Jie Chen (simplified Chinese: 陈洁; traditional Chinese: 陳潔; pinyin: Chén Jié, born 1985) is a Chinese pianist.

Jie Chen Pianist
Jie Chen Portrait
Jie Chen at concert

Chen studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. She debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 16, and has concertized around the world, including performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.

She has won a number of prizes,[1] including winning fourth place at the 11th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition.[2] Her concerts have been well received.[3]

Early Life

“I often felt piano chose me, not I chose the piano. At that young age, it was all a force of nature,” states Chen about her early passion for the art. Chen was only three and a half years old when she began learning piano and later studied in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Her talent and dedication led to her acceptance at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, at the young age of thirteen, where she studied before moving on to receive her Master’s Degree at New York City’s Mannes School of Music.

Her early start with the instrument was not forced upon her, but was something she was instantly drawn to as a child. “It’s the one, single instrument that has the biggest range of sounds and color, and can imitate so many different instruments,” Chen explains in regards to her immediate connection with the piano. This early connection not only helped pave the way to her attendance at prestigious music schools, but also led to her debut performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra with maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch at only 16-years-old.

“Collaborating with the world’s top rated musicians has set my standard of excellence very high,” Chen says about her experience with world renown artists, orchestras and maestros. Chen expresses how “enlightening” it has been collaborating with composer/conductor Tan Dun in that he “really opened her eyes to new sounds and possibilities” through his immense creativity and talent. She has had the great honor of collaborating with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra with Neemi Jarvi, Minnesota Orchestra with Osmo Vanska, Israel Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Sinfonia Varsovia of Poland and Hong Kong Philharmonic. Some of the leading music halls Chen has performed in include the Kennedy Centre, Lincoln Center, Louvre Museum and Carnegie Hall.

Career

Accepted by The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at the age of thirteen, Ms Chen made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch at age sixteen. She has given solo recitals in many leading concert venues around the world, including the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Louvre Museum, etc.

A frequent soloist with major orchestras, Ms. Chen has collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra and Maestro Osmo Vanska, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Neemi Jarvi, Madrid Orquesta Sinfonica and Jesus Lopez-cobos, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia of Poland, and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

Although making a name for performing Western music, Ms. Chen has developed a keen dedication to bring Chinese traditional music to the world’s concert stage. Her debut album titled “Chinese Piano Favourites” (8.570602) was released to critical acclaim on the Naxos label.

Her second album under Marco Polo label, “The Yellow River/ Butterfly Lovers (8.225984), has won her the Best Album of the Year award by the Asian Hi-Fi Society.

Besides her performing career, Ms. Jie Chen is also the founder and director of the Music Department at the University of Shanghai Science and Technology (USST), and was awarded the “Ambassador for Arts and Education” by the Shanghai International Arts Festival. She was named “Top 30 under 30” in classical music world by the KDFC radio Los Angeles, CCTV “top 10 pianist in China”, and “Culture Leader” by the Shanghai Government.

On top of her already impressive list of musical achievements, at the age of 26 Chen founded the Music Department at the University of Shanghai Science and Technology where she is currently the Director. She has also received numerous honors and awards, some of Chen’s impressive honors include the “Top 30 under 30” (in the classic music genre) awarded by the KDFC Radio Los Angeles, “Ambassador for Arts and Education” awarded by the Shanghai International Arts Festival as well as two prestigious honors given to her by the Shanghai Government: “Top 10 Pianist in China” and “Culture Leader”. Chen’s second album, “The Yellow River/Butterfly Lovers” under NAXO’s Marco Polo, received an award for the Best Album of the Year through the Asian Hi-Fi Society.

“I think balancing a ‘normal life’ when you are a concert musician can be quite tough,” says Chen of her growing success – her many achievements occurring before the age of 32. Though Chen has challenged herself over and over again with time-consuming, meticulous projects, she has managed to unveil thought-provoking performances that prove her perseverance has paid off fully.

Chen has shown great talent in blending both music from the Western culture with traditional Chinese music in many of her performances. Being she splits time living in both Shanghai and New York City, Chen has grown fascinated with combining both cultures into her pieces – sculpting her music into relatable, intriguing art for the audience to absorb. “Chinese Piano Favourites”, Chen’s debut album, focused primarily on Chinese traditional music and was released under the NAXO’s Marco Polo label. She continues to thrive through her traditional pieces, but truly enjoys intertwining the Western culture into her performances to make the experience more personal.

Awards

First Prize at Piano Arts National Competition (2003)

First Prize at International Piano-E-Competition; Minneapolis (2004)

First Prize at Missouri Southern International Piano Competition (2004)

First Prize at Kingsville International Piano Competition (2004)

Fourth Prize at Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition, Tel Aviv, Israel (2005)

Third Prize at Santander Paloma O’Shea International Competition, Santander, Spain (2005)

Jury Discretional Prize at Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Texas (2005)

First Prize at Washington International Piano Competition, Washington D.C. (2005)

Second Prize at Prix Animato, Paris, France (2005)

Second Prize at International Villa-Lobos Piano Competition, Brazil (2006)

First Prize at International Young Concert Artist Competition (YCA) (2006)

Selected for “Top 30 under 30 in classical music world” by the KDFC radio LA (2007)

Selected for “The Ambassador for Arts and Education” at the Shanghai International Arts Festival (2011)

Selected for “The Top Pianist of China” by China Central Television (2012)

Selected for “Cultural Leader” by the Shanghai Government (2015)

Selected for “Leader of Culture and Lifestyle” by CIDA (2017)

References

4. Chen Jie concert reviewed by Hoy Digital in Dominican Republic. http://hoy.com.do/jie-chen-y-jose-antonio-molina-magnifica-eleccion-sinfonica/

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