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Jiafeng Chen

“One of the world’s most gifted young violinists” -- Pierre Amoyal

In December 2005, aged 18, Jiafeng Chen won 2nd Prize in the prestigious Sibelius Violin Competition, Helsinki, joining a distinguished list of previous prize-winners. This immediately led to accolades from the Finnish press and from such distinguished figures as Pierre Amoyal, Herman Krebbers and Tuomas Haapanen. It also led to engagements with the Tapiola Sinfonietta and Paavo Berglund, with the Vaasa City Orchestra, and a recital in Hameenlinna, as well as invitations to perform in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, UK and South Africa.

Jiafeng began to achieve major international recognition in 2003 when he was awarded 1st Prize in the 9th Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland, with further prizes from the European Union Music Competition and the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music.

Born in Shanghai in 1987, Jiafeng Chen started to play the violin at the age of three. He studied with Prof. Peter Shixiang Zhang at the age of four. From 1996 to 2004, he studied with Prof. Jiyang Zhao and Prof. Lei Fang in the Music School affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music. During these years, he was awarded numerous scholarships and in 2001, won 2nd prize in the 7th Chinese National Youth Violin Competition. He was selected to attend the Morning Star Music Programme in Canada, followed by an invitation to join the Itzhak Perlman Music Programme. During 2002 he gave solo performances in Memphis, Joplin, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

In 2004 he moved to England to study at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and soon after was awarded from the Hattori Foundation and the Manoug Parikian Prize at the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund String Awards in London. This led to an invitation to give his Wigmore Hall debut in December 2005.

He has participated in numerous music festivals and seasons including the BBC proms cycle of 2006 as a soloist when his recital was broadcast on BBC radio 3; the Lake District Music Festival, and the Shanghai ‘Spring’ International Music Festival.

Jiafeng is already building an international career. He has had numerous concerts in China, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Norway, Italy, Finland and Poland. He has also performed as soloist with many eminent orchestras and conductors including the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra (Rory Macdonald), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Petri Sakari) and the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra (John Storgårds).

He has recently had masterclasses with Pierre Amoyal, Bruno Canino, Boris Garlitsky, Burkhard Godhoff, Eduard Grach, Tuomas Haapanen, Piotr Janowski, Herman Krebbers, Itzhak Perlman and Ruggiero Ricci.

Alongside his developing concert career, he is currently continuing his studies from September 2006 with Prof. Jan Repko at the Royal College of Music in London. He holds the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Scholarship.

Jiafeng plays a Nicolò Gagliano (Naples, 1751), kindly on loan from the Violin Syndicate owners.

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Mark O'Connor's method books -- released this week -- teach students using many styles of American music. Enter to win a set of the books this week, on Violinist.com. Photo: Deanna Rose

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Audio/Video

Capricci No.24 (by Paganini)

Variations on an Original Theme Op.15 (by Wieniawski)

Much Ado About Nothing Suite Op.11 - Garden Scene (by Korngold)

Concert Calendar

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