Yunjie Chen
Piano
Yunjie Chen is a Professor of Piano of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China and “Pearl River-Kayserburg" Artist.
Displaying an extraordinary talent at a young age, Yunjie Chen’s gifts were nurtured at the primary and middle school of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He subsequently earned degrees from Manhattan School of Music, the Juilliard School and Cleveland Institute of Music. His mentors include Junwei Zhang, Shuxin Zheng, Yu Wang, Eryao Lin, Dachun You, Dan Shao, Ying Wu, Phillip Kawin, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Matti Raekallio and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. He also studied with Maestro Fu T'song in the world famous Lake Como Foundation.
Yunjie Chen won the first prize in the National Piano Competition of China at the age of twelve. He then won the China International Piano Competition in 1994. During his study in the U.S., he won prizes in important International competitions such as Ettlingen in Germany; Santander in Spain; Long-Thibaud in France; Gina Bachuer,Cincinnati,Cleveland and Young Concert Artist in the U.S.; Isang Yun and Seoul in Korea.
In 2011 Yunjie Chen became the youngest piano faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Since then, his students have won top prizes in many important international competitions such as Chopin Competition in Russia, Ettilingen Competition in Germany, Hong Kong International Competition,Daegu International Music Festival Piano Competition in Korea,Qingdao Irmler International Piano Competition and Guangzhou Kayserburg International Piano Competition in China as well as Xinghai, Steinway and Guangzhou National Piano Competition.
Yunjie Chen is the first Chinese pianist to perform the complete ten Scriabin sonatas. He was invited to perform this epic program in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing on April 27, 2015, the centennial anniversary of Scriabin’s death.It was the first time in the world that a pianist performs the complete ten Scriabin sonatas in one single concert. With 1120 audience, it was hailed as "one of the most important concerts of the year" by Chinese media.
In 2016-2018 seasons, Yunjie Chen toured in more than 80 cities in China, Korea and the U.S. with the complete Liszt trancendental etudes. On June 22, 2018, He performed this program in the Beijing Concert Hall. It was an sold out concert and was praised by the Piano Art Magazine of China as an “magnificent program, huge success!"
Yunjie Chen has recorded the complete Scriabin sonatas and the complete Liszt trancendental etudes for the China National Record Labels. In May 2019 , his first overseas CD recording:the complete Scriabin piano sonatas ,was released under Accentus label in Germany. On May 25, 2019, he played an all Scriabin program in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
In 2017, Yunjie Chen was appointed by the largest piano manufacturer in the world,the “Pearl River " Piano Group as the first “Pearl River-Kayserburg” Artist.
Since 2017, Yunjie Chen has been invited to major music festivals in China such as Harbin, Shenzhen, Tongxiang, Qingdao, Sanya and Nanning as well as Daegu international music festival in Korea and Todi international piano festival in Italy.
Yunjie Chen has been a jury member of important piano competitions such as Cleveland International Youth Piano Competition in the U. S., the CCOM Piano Competition and Kayserburg International Piano Competition in China, Daegu International Music Festival Piano Competition in Korea, Parnassos International Piano Competition in Mexico, Hong Kong International Music Competition for Junior Musicians and Chopin Competition in Hong Kong.
Yunjie Chen has been the artistic director of the Tongxiang International Piano Festival since the first edition in 2017.
In February 2019, Yunjie Chen was appointed as the artistic director of "the Finger Tips of China" International Piano Competition in Beijing.