LOS ANGELES - Master pianist Rueibin Chen is returning to Los Angeles for a recital debut on Friday evening, July 7 at the new Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Chen, a Chinese–Austrian born in Taiwan, is an internationally renowned pianist with a reputation for technical brilliance and the ability to combine intense energy with his refined sense of touch to rank him among the best in creative and artistic expression.
His masterful performance of Rachmaninoff's complete piano concertos (including the Paganini Rhapsody Op. 43 ) in two consecutive nights at National Concert Hall in Taiwan has made him "the first of its kind and has left a sensational imprint in the minds of the overflowing audiences".
The Swiss newspaper, Neue Zurcher Zeitung, called him "one of those geniuses that come along once in twenty years," and the Boston Globe was impressed with his "white-hot energy, steel-fingered, power and athletic virtuosity", balanced with "delicacy and imagination."
A child prodigy, Chen received his first piano lessons at age 5 from his father, and at 10, he was invited to perform with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. At 13, he was chosen by the Taiwanese government from a national talent search and sent to Vienna, Austria, where he later obtained a Concert Diploma. He then went on to receive an Artist Diploma from the prestigious Hoch Music School in Hanover, Germany. He continued further study under Maestro Lazar Berman and Murray Perahia.
Chen's musical talent and virtuosity are sublime and self-evident. He has won competition after competition, countless awards, and causes listeners to search for elusive words to describe their heightened level of appreciation.
He has won eighteen medals including five gold medals in various international piano competitions in Warsaw (Chopin), Tel Aviv (Rubinstein), Salt Lake City (Bachauer), Athens (Callas), Vienna, Manresa and Italy (Rome, Rachmaninov, Bellini, Stresa). Madame Rubinstein personally presented Chen his prize in Tel Aviv. He also had a personal audience with the former President of Israel, Itzhak Rabin.
His playing has a surreal quality evoked by a seemingly effortless execution. There is no hint of artificiality, no hint of anything overlooked in his preparation, just a sense that here is a true virtuoso. He has the ability to become one with the essence and intent of the original composition.
Chen recently conducted Master Classes in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas to share his knowledge with local students. The students included pianists at the top of their field. Since Mr. Chen only speaks Chinese and German, a local musician, Ming Liu, translated for Chen.
"It was amazing. The playing was so good that we thought it was perfect. But Rueibin listened and found something, maybe just a small detail, to help each of the students. Everyone walked in a very good musician and walked out an even better one", said Liu.
A Special Affinity and Relationship to Beethoven
Rueibin said that a classical portrait of Beethoven was sitting forever on top of the old piano at his house in Tainan, Taiwan. As a child, he always felt the stinging look of the austere master monitoring and disciplining him. Since then, Rueibin's "predestined" relationship with Beethoven started to unfold.
It was with Beethoven's Sonata "Pathetique" that he won his first competitive top prize in his local city at the age of 6. And when he was sent to Vienna at 13, he became the only Asian student of the late legendary Russian pianist Lazar Berman. Maestro Berman's "great-grand teacher" (teacher's teacher's teacher) is Beethoven.
For this Walt Disney Concert Hall debut, Rueibin will play Beethoven's Appasionata with what has previously been described as "record-breaking" speed.
Rueibin Chen's recital selections for July 7 at the Disney Concert Hall include:
1. Bach-Gounod: Ave Maria; 2. Schubert-Liszt: Serenade; 3. Beethoven: Sonata in f minor Op57< Appassionata > ; 4. Tchaikovsky: The Ballet Suite "Nutcracker" Op.71a for Piano Solo; 5. Chopin: Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brillante, Op.22.
For ticket information visit Rueibin Chen's website at http://rueibinchen.net/ .
Next week, in Part II, Mr. Chen answers a variety of questions asked by The Epoch Times.
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