Chiu Yu Chen, pianist
Taiwan, Taichung
My approach to classical music:
Chiu-Yu Chen is the first Taiwanese pianist to graduate with 2 doctoral diplomas (piano performance and chamber ensemble) from the Russian Gnesin Academy of Music in 2008. He studied with great pianist such like Boris Lvov, Maria Gambaryan, Victor Merzhanov, and Irina Anastasieva.
He began his busy concert business when he was a student, performing in Russia, Italy, France, Germany and Finland. In 2002, he performed “Prometheus” by A. Scriabin with the Tambov Symphonic Orchestra under the conducting by Dmitri Vasiliev. In September 2007 he held 5 concerts tribute to the 210’s anniversary of Schubert’s Birth in Finland (Kouvola, Imatra, Lapua, Savolinaa and Varkaus). In October 2007 he held 4 concerts tribute to the 50’s year of Sibelius’s death during the 90’s anniversary of Finnish Independency in Finland (Imatra, Varkaus, Lapua and Hyvinkaa). In March 2008, he held a concert tribute to the 115’s anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s death in Finland (Varkaus).
From September to October 2008, he held 9 concerts tribute to the 115’s anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s death in 9 cities of Taichung County. In April 2009, he held 4 concerts tribute to the school musical festival. In June 2009, invited by Taichung County Government, he held a piano festival in Taichung musical festival, giving lectures, master classes and concerts tribute to the Russian Piano School. During these years, Chiu-Yu Chen also performed the Mother Day concert, Concert tribute to the Independence Day of Taiwan, Concert tribute to the Taiwanese composers in Dajia, which is famous worldwide for the Goddess Matsu Holy Pilgrimage.
In April 2010 he held 4 concerts tribute to the 240’s anniversary of Beethoven’s Birth in Finland (Kotka, Kajaani, Varkaus, Rauma). In October of that year he held a concert tribute to the great master of Taiwan –Chi Yuan Kuo (1921), where he performed all the piano compositions by this great master. Chiu Yu Chen is the first Taiwanese pianist to perform the complete piano compositions by Chih Yuan Kuo. From May to June 2011 he held 6 concerts in Taiwan. In these concerts he performed the complete piano works by Chih Yuan Kuo. In the following days, he collaborated with the Chih Yuan Kuo chamber chorus to hold a series of concerts tribute to this great Taiwanese composer: in September 2011-2 concerts in Honolulu, from the September to December 2011-12 concerts in Taiwan, Chiu Yu Chen as a soloist, chamber performer and accompanist performed almost all the piano works and chamber ensemble works by Chih Yuan Kuo. They appeared in the most important concert halls (Art Center of the Portal District, Taichung City, The Art and Cultural Center of the Northern District, Maio Li County), universities (The National Tainan Pedagogical University, Tunghai University, Providence University, The National Hsin Chu Pedagogical University, Chang Jung Christian University ) and churches of Taiwan and got successful acclamations. I n July 2011 Chiu Yu Chen appeared in Buxton Festival as his debut in U.K where the audience was for the first time introduced to the Taiwanese piano music.
Chiu Yu Chen continues to introduce the Taiwanese audience not only the Taiwanese music, but also the Finnish¸ French and Russian music: in the seasons from September to December 2012 he held 7 concerts tribute to Chih Yuan Kuo, Sibelius and the French Contemporary Music. He has appeared in Pin Tong Art Hall, Yamaha Center Concert Hall, Kaohsiung Cultural Center, Yaun Lin Concert Hall, Concert Hall of Nan Tou Cultural Center, Concert Hall of Xinying Cultural Center, Tainan City, and The International Auditorium of Hsin Chu City and has gotten brilliant reviews.
In 2013, Chiu Yu Chen performed 2 piano concertos by Kuo Chih Yuan with Taiwan National Symphonic orchestra and The Spring Sound Orchestra on the memorial concerts tribute to Kuo Chih Yuan. In 2014 he participated at the 1st Kuo Chih Yuan Festival.
In 2015, to celebrate the 150 anniversary of Sibelius’s Birth, Chiu Yu Chen held 4 concerts in Finland (in Rauma and Varkaus), performing the complete piano works by this greatest Finnish composer. From August 2015, Chiu Yu Chen organized the 2nd Kuo Chih Yuan festival, collaborating with various musicians to present the complete piano works, the complete works for chamber ensemble and the important vocal works by Kuo Chih Yuan in 10 concerts.
Profile
Chiu-Yu Chen is the first Taiwanese pianist to graduate with 2 doctoral diplomas (piano performance and chamber ensemble) from the Russian Gnesin Academy of Music in 2008. He studied with great pianist such like Boris Lvov, Maria Gambaryan, Victor Merzhanov, and Irina Anastasieva.
He began his busy concert business when he was a student, performing in Russia, Italy, France, Germany and Finland. In 2002, he performed “Prometheus” by A. Scriabin with the Tambov Symphonic Orchestra under the conducting by Dmitri Vasiliev. In September 2007 he held 5 concerts tribute to the 210’s anniversary of Schubert’s Birth in Finland (Kouvola, Imatra, Lapua, Savolinaa and Varkaus). In October 2007 he held 4 concerts tribute to the 50’s year of Sibelius’s death during the 90’s anniversary of Finnish Independency in Finland (Imatra, Varkaus, Lapua and Hyvinkaa). In March 2008, he held a concert tribute to the 115’s anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s death in Finland (Varkaus).
From September to October 2008, he held 9 concerts tribute to the 115’s anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s death in 9 cities of Taichung County. In April 2009, he held 4 concerts tribute to the school musical festival. In June 2009, invited by Taichung County Government, he held a piano festival in Taichung musical festival, giving lectures, master classes and concerts tribute to the Russian Piano School. During these years, Chiu-Yu Chen also performed the Mother Day concert, Concert tribute to the Independence Day of Taiwan, Concert tribute to the Taiwanese composers in Dajia, which is famous worldwide for the Goddess Matsu Holy Pilgrimage.
In April 2010 he held 4 concerts tribute to the 240’s anniversary of Beethoven’s Birth in Finland (Kotka, Kajaani, Varkaus, Rauma). In October of that year he held a concert tribute to the great master of Taiwan –Chi Yuan Kuo (1921), where he performed all the piano compositions by this great master. Chiu Yu Chen is the first Taiwanese pianist to perform the complete piano compositions by Chih Yuan Kuo. From May to June 2011 he held 6 concerts in Taiwan. In these concerts he performed the complete piano works by Chih Yuan Kuo. In the following days, he collaborated with the Chih Yuan Kuo chamber chorus to hold a series of concerts tribute to this great Taiwanese composer: in September 2011-2 concerts in Honolulu, from the September to December 2011-12 concerts in Taiwan, Chiu Yu Chen as a soloist, chamber performer and accompanist performed almost all the piano works and chamber ensemble works by Chih Yuan Kuo. They appeared in the most important concert halls (Art Center of the Portal District, Taichung City, The Art and Cultural Center of the Northern District, Maio Li County), universities (The National Tainan Pedagogical University, Tunghai University, Providence University, The National Hsin Chu Pedagogical University, Chang Jung Christian University ) and churches of Taiwan and got successful acclamations. I n July 2011 Chiu Yu Chen appeared in Buxton Festival as his debut in U.K where the audience was for the first time introduced to the Taiwanese piano music.
Chiu Yu Chen continues to introduce the Taiwanese audience not only the Taiwanese music, but also the Finnish¸ French and Russian music: in the seasons from September to December 2012 he held 7 concerts tribute to Chih Yuan Kuo, Sibelius and the French Contemporary Music. He has appeared in Pin Tong Art Hall, Yamaha Center Concert Hall, Kaohsiung Cultural Center, Yaun Lin Concert Hall, Concert Hall of Nan Tou Cultural Center, Concert Hall of Xinying Cultural Center, Tainan City, and The International Auditorium of Hsin Chu City and has gotten brilliant reviews.
In 2013, Chiu Yu Chen performed 2 piano concertos by Kuo Chih Yuan with Taiwan National Symphonic orchestra and The Spring Sound Orchestra on the memorial concerts tribute to Kuo Chih Yuan. In 2014 he participated at the 1st Kuo Chih Yuan Festival.
In 2015, to celebrate the 150 anniversary of Sibelius’s Birth, Chiu Yu Chen held 4 concerts in Finland (in Rauma and Varkaus), performing the complete piano works by this greatest Finnish composer. From August 2015, Chiu Yu Chen organized the 2nd Kuo Chih Yuan festival, collaborating with various musicians to present the complete piano works, the complete works for chamber ensemble and the important vocal works by Kuo Chih Yuan in 10 concerts.
Chiu Yu Chen -Repertoire
Recital Programs
1. The Autumn Song- Piano works by P.I.Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky: The Russian Scherzo Op.1
Tchaikovsky: Theme and variations Op.19 no.6
Tchaikovsky: Grande Sonata Op.37Tchaikovsky:January, June, September, October and November from “The Seasons” Op.37 bis
Tchaikovsky-S.Feinberg: “spring” Op.54
Tchaikovsky: Character Dance Op.72 no.4
Tchaikovsky: Natha Valse Op.51
Tchaikovsky- Plevnev: The Nutcracker Suite
2. Concert tribute to Beethoven’s anniversary
Beethoven: Fantasy Op.77
Beethoven: 15 Variations and Fugue Op.35
Beethoven: Sonata “Appassionata” Op.57
Beethoven: 6 variations Op.76
Beethoven-Liszt: Symphony No.5 Op.67
3. Schubert and the world song
Schubert: 4 impromptu Op.90 Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy Op.15
Chih Yuan Kuo: 4 Taiwanese Traditional Tunes
Alyabiev- Liszt: The Nightingale
Glinks- Balakirev: The lark
Schubert- Liszt: Serenade
Rachmaninov: lilacs
Schubert- Liszt: Der Lindenbaum
Schubert- Godovsy: Heidenroslein
Chih Yuan Kuo- Chiu Yu Chen: Mooring by the Maple-Bridge at Night
Schubert- Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade
Schubert- Liszt: Erlkonig
Schubert- Liszt: Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Schubert- Liszt: Der Muller und der Bach
Schubert- Godovsky: Die Forelle
Rachmaninov-Earl Wild- the floods of spring
4. Concert tribute to Sibelius’s anniversary and The Finnish Independency
Sibelius: sonatina no.1 in f-sharp minor Op.67
Sibelius: sonatina no.2 in E major Op.67
Sibelius: Impromptu , Romance, Capriccio Op.24
Sibelius: piano sonata Op.12
Sibelius: Kyllikki Op.41
Sibelius: Dance air Op.34 no.2, Mazurka Op.34 no.3
Sibelius: Reverie Op.58 no.1
Sibelius: Finlandia Op.26
5. Fantasy
Bach: Chromatic fantasy and Fugue
Mozart: Fantasy d minor kv.397
Chopin: Fantasy Op.49
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
Scriabin: Sonata-Fantasy Op.19
Schumann: Fantasy Op. 17
Scriabin: Fantasy Op.28
Solo repertoire:
Isaac Albeniz
Recuerdos de Viage
Chants d’espagne
Suite Espagnole
Johann Sebastian Bach
Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue BWV903
English Suite No. 3 in G minor BWV 808
English Suite No. 6 in D minor BWV 811
French Suite No. 5 in G major BWV 816
French Suite No. 6 in E major BWV 817
Partita No. 1 in B-flat major BWV 825
Partita No. 4 in D major BWV 828
Partita No. 5 in G major BWV 829
Partita No. 6 in E minor BWV 830
Toccata in G major BWV 916
Bach-Busoni Chaconne
Mily Balakirev
Islamey-the oriental fantasy
Sonatina
Reminiscences of the Opera “Life for the Tsar” by M. Glinka
Reverie
Ludwig. van. Beethoven
Sonata Op.2 No.1 in f minor
Sonata Op.2 No.2 in A Major
Sonata Op.2 No.3 in C Major
Sonata Op.10 No.1 in c minor
Sonata Op.10 No.2 in F Major
Sonata Op.10 No.3 in D Major
Sonata Op.13 in c minor
Sonata Op.14 No.1 in E Major
Sonata Op.14 No.2 in G Major
Sonata Op.22 in B-flat Major
Sonata Op.26 in A-flat Major
Sonata Op.27 No.2 (Sonata quasi una Fantasia)
Sonata Op.28 in D Major
Sonata Op.31 No.2 in d minor
Sonata Op.53 in C Major ‘Waldstein‘
Sonata Op.57 ‘Appasionata‘
Sonata Op.78 in F-sharp Major
Sonata Op.81a in E-flat Major ‘Les Adieux‘
Sonata Op.90 in e minor
Sonata Op.101 in A Major
Fifteen variations and a fugue on an original theme in E-flat major Op.35
Six variations on an original theme in D major Op.76
Fantasy Op.77
Beethoven-Liszt: Symphony No.5 in c minor Op.67
Johannes Brahms
Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major Op. 1
Four Ballades Op. 10
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op. 24
Frederic Chopin
Complete Ballades
Complete Scherzos
Fantaisie Op.49 in f minor
Andante spinato et Grande Polonaise Brillainte in E-flat Major Op.22
Polonaise Op.26 No.1 in c-sharp minor
Polonaise Op.26 No.2 in e-flat minor
Polonaise Op.40 No.1 in A Major
Polonaise Op.44 in f-sharp minor
Polonaise Op.53 in A-flat Major
Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61 in A-flat Major Fantasie-
Impromptu in c-sharp minor
Etudes Op.25 (selection)
Etudes Op.10 (selection)
Sonata No.3 Op.58 in b minor
Claude Debussy
L'isle joyeuse
Antonin Dvorak
Poetic Tone Pictures
Humoresques
Dumka
Mazurkas
Manuel de Falla
Spanish Dance
Betica Fantasy
Edvard Grieg
Sonata Op.8 in e minor
Scenes of Country Life p.19
Ballade Op.24 in g minor
Piano Pieces after Original Songs Op.41
Piano Pieces after Original Songs Op.52
Lyric Pieces Op.43, 54, 57, 62, 65
Alexander Glazunov
Theme and Variations Op.72
Joseph Haydn
Sonata in F Major Hob XVI:23
Sonata in G Major Hob XVI:27
Sonata in E flat Major Hob XVI:28
Sonata in b minor XVI:32
Sonata in C Major Hob XVI:35
Sonata in D Major Hob XVI:37
Sonata in G Major Hob XVI:39
Sonata in e minor Hob XVI:34
Sonata in E flat Major Hob XVI:49
Sonata in C Major Hob XVI:50
Sonata in E flat Major Hob XVI:52
Chih Yuan Kuo(郭芝苑)
Complete piano works:
Piano suite Fantasy on the Taiwanese Ancient Melody
Piano Sonata
6 Pieces for piano- Imagine, Elegy, Burlesque, Cradle Song, Rustic Dance, Toccata Variations and Fugue on the Taiwanese Ancient Melodies
Piano Sonatina
4 Taiwanese Traditional Tunes
Fantasy- Taiwanese Kau Ka Tune
Album for the Children
Toivo Kuula
3 fairy tales for piano Op.19
Anatoly Liadov
Barcarolle Op.44
Variations on the Polish Theme Op.51
Ferenc Liszt
Sonata
Légende No.2
Ballade No.2
‘Rigoletto’ Paraphrase
‘Gnomenreigen’ from 2 Concert-Etudes
Paganini-Etudes No. 4,5,6
Années de pèlerinage-Deuxième année: Italie
Etudes d’exécution transcendante No.4, 8, 10 , 11
Felix Mendelssohn
Variations sérieuses Op.54
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Complete piano sonatas
Fantasy in d minor Kv. 397
Rondo in D major Kv. 485
Rondo in a minor Kv. 511
Allegro in B-flat major Kv. 400
Andante in F major Kv.616
12 Variations in C major Kv. 265
6 Variations in F major Kv. 398
9 Variations in D major Kv. 573
Modest Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition
Serge Rachmaninov
6 Musical Moments Op.16
10 Preludes Op.23
13 Preludes Op. 32
Etudes-Tableaux Op.33
Sonata No.2 Op.36
Etudes-Tableaux Op.39
Franz Schubert
Impromptus Op.90
Sonata in B flat Major D.960
Fantasia Op.15 ‘Wanderer‘
Schubert- Liszt: Serenade
Schubert- Liszt: Der Lindenbaum
Schubert- Godovsy: Heidenroslein
Schubert- Liszt: Gretchen am Spinnrade
Schubert- Liszt: Erlkonig
Schubert- Liszt: Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Schubert- Liszt: Der Muller und der Bach
Schubert- Godovsky: Die Forelle
Robert Schumann
Carnaval Op.9
Grand Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor Op.11
Symphonic Etudes Op.13
Kinderszenen Op.15
Kreisleriana Op.16
Fantasie Op.17
Arabeske Op.18
Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op.22
Alexander Scriabin
Etude Op. 8 No.12
Etudes Op. 42 No.5
Fantaisie in B minor Op. 28
2 Poèmes, Op. 32
4 Preludes, Op. 33
3 Preludes, Op. 35
4 Preludes, Op. 37
Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor Op. 19
Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major Op. 30
Sonata No. 5 Op. 53
Jean Sibelius
The complete piano works
Pyotr. Tchaikovsky
The Russian Scherzo Op.1
Theme and variations Op.19 no.6
Grande Sonata Op.37
“The Seasons” Op.37 bis
Natha Valse Op.51
Tchaikovsky-S.Feinberg: “spring” Op.54
Character Dance Op.72 no.4
Dumka Op.59
Tchaikovsky- Pletnev: The Nutcracker Suite
Concerto repertoire
Beethoven
complete piano concertos
Grieg
Piano concerto Op.16
Liszt
complete piano concertos
Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 9, KV 271
Piano Concerto No. 13, KV 415
Piano Concerto No. 14, KV 449
Piano Concerto No. 15, KV 450
Piano Concerto No. 16, KV 451
Piano Concerto No. 17, KV 453
Piano Concerto No. 18, KV 456
Piano Concerto No. 19, KV 459
Piano Concerto No. 20, KV 466
Piano Concerto No. 22, KV 482
Piano Concerto No. 23, KV 488
Piano Concerto No. 24, KV 491
Piano Concerto No. 25, KV 503
Piano Concerto No. 26, KV 537
Rachmaninov
Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18
Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30
Schumann
Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 54
Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No.1 Op.23
