NEWSLETTER

JOHN CHEN

OUR SECOND JUNE CONCERT brings us another rising star from our own shores, John Chen.


SUNDAY 18 JUNE AT 2.30PM WAIKANAE MEMORIAL HALL

JOHN CHEN


MOZART

Sonata in B flat K333


LISZT

Sonata in B minor


DEBUSSY

L�Isle joyeuse


SCHUMANN

Carnaval


CHEN, piano, moved to Auckland, New Zealand from Malaysia at the age of 11 months. He began learning the piano in the Suzuki method at the age of three, and subsequently studied with Rae de Lisle for 11 years. He graduated with a Master of Music degree from the University of Auckland in 2005, at just 18 years of age, and has since completed one year of Artist Diploma studies at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, under John Perry.

In 2004 he was the youngest winner ever in the Sydney International Piano Competition, also gaining a number of special prizes. The previous year he had won the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition in Brisbane, where he swept all the special prizes and at the age of 15 he was the runner-up in the 2002 New Zealand Young Musician of the Year contest. John Chen has given solo recitals throughout New Zealand and Australia, including a 22-concert series tour following his win in Sydney. He has recorded for Concert FM, and has been a casual orchestral pianist for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. He has also given recitals in the United States, Japan and at the prestigious Ruhr Festival in Germany as well as throughout New Zealand. His has had numerous concerto appearances in Australia and New Zealand, and with conductors such as Janos Furst, Werner Andreas Albert, Vladimir Verbitsky, Christoph Poppen, and James Judd.

John Chen has recently recorded the complete solo piano works of Dutilleux for the Naxos label, and a selection of Debussy and Ravel for ABC Classics. He is also a keen performer of classical contemporary music, having given world premieres of solo works by New Zealand composers Ross Harris, Jenny McLeod and Claire Cowan, and the piano concerto by Australian composer Roger Smalley.

JULY CONCERTS
In July we have an additional special concert. On 16 July is our published concert of the Aroha Quartet with Vyvyan Yendoll. Then, on 30 July, we are holding a fundraising concert for our superb young Kapiti violinist, Blythe Press, who is leaving New Zealand in August to study with internationally acclaimed violin teacher Yair Kless in Austria. He will be supported by Emma Sayers and others. More next newsletter, but put it in your diaries now!