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Winning $100,000, the biggest cash prize in the history of piano competitions,
Gwhyneth Chen, then a young lady of 23, was the youngest contestant
at the 1994 Ivo Pogorelich International Piano Competition, Subsequent
to the award, Mr. Pogorelich himself said of her talent, "She is too
good to be true." Immediately recognized as one of the foremost pianists
of her generation, the victory was broadcast internationally on CNN
television.
Born in Taiwan, Miss Chen emigrated to the United States in 1980, where
she continued musical studies with Robert Turner and Aube Taerko. At
age nineteen she was once again a laureate, this time at The Prokofieff
International Piano Competition. Her first performance with orchestra
was at age eleven when she played Prokofieff's Third Piano Concerto.
A leading Chinese musical figure, Gwhyneth Chen was included in the
1995 edition of The One Hundred Most Successful Chinese People and appeared
in a nationally televised gale concert at the Presidential Palace before
President Lee of Taiwan.
Her international career already includes performances with the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, Zagreb Philharmonic, Augusta Symphony, Greenville
Symphony, Miami Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Kyushu Symphony of Japan,
Taiwan National Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony, Moscow State Philharmony,
Pasadena Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Pops Orchestra, Rutgers
Festival Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony.
Miss Chen has collaborated with David Atherton and the Hong Kong Philharmonic
on a tour of the United States and Canada, with Vladimir Fedoseyev and
the Moscow Radio Symphony throughout North America and Mexico, and completed
and exciting tour of Taiwan with the Russian Philharmonic under Vladimir
Ponkin. For the extravagant debut of the New Colorado Symphony, she
was chosen as the first piano soloist, performing before a crowd of
15,000.
In 1994, Gwhyneth Chen made her recital debut in Munich at Herculessal,
followed by a recital tour of Croatia and Spain. Her triumph in Germany
bought reviews such as "Chen's performance was even more impressive
than was Ivo Pogorelich himself"...and "a successor to Gould and Serkin..."
That same year, she played the opening concert of the season in the
The Great Hall of The Moscow Conservatory with the Russian National
Orchestra under Mikhail Pletnev, performing the Rachmaninoff Third Piano
Concerto.
Miss Chen is a frequent quest artist in summer festivals such as the
Aspen Music Festival, Montéal Music Festival, Pogorelich Festival, and
Bowdoin Music Festival. Her extensive concertizing travels have thrilled
audiences in such halls as the Kennedy Center, Davies Hall, Los Angeles
Music Center, Royal Theater, Orpheum, National Concert Hall in Taiwan,
Belles Artes, Tilles Center the Great Hall of The Moscow Conservatory,
and Tschaikovsky Hall of Moscow.
Gwhyneth Chen currently resides in New York where she received her Bachelor
and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School. While in New
York, her teachers have been Martin Canin and Byron Janis.
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