Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Chen Ruei-bin thrilled a full house of music lovers Saturday night





Chen Ruei-bin thrilled a full house of music lovers Saturday night, December 7, with his program of "Total Rachmaninoff" at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!



Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

An evening of Rachmaninoff


ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND!


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !



The brand new state-of-the-arts Wallis Annenberg Performing Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills (15 years in the making) has invited me to be their inaugural soloist. I took these pictures a few months ago while they were still under construction. Whoops ... Now they will know the dirty hand print is from me!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Chen Ruei-bin Rachmaninoff tour thrills California music lovers



Interview by  Taiwan News 


Dec. 10 , 2013

Chen Ruei-bin thrilled a full house of music lovers Saturday night, December 7, with his program of "Total Rachmaninoff" at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California. The evening was another stop in a wide-ranging tour of Asia and other areas that Chen has undertaken in celebration of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 140th birthday on April 1 and in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of his death on March 28 this year. The Rachmaninoff tour is a follow-up to a similar series of concerts he staged from 2008 to 2010 for the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin’s birth.
Described as having the fingers of an angel, Chen Ruei-bin has won a well-deserved worldwide reputation as a classical pianist. He was the youngest ever Rachmaninoff International Competition winner and lists as his greatest influences the composers Franz Liszt, Alexander Siloti,a Alexander Goldenweiser and Rachmaninoff as well as his teacher Lazar Berman .
Chen’s repertoire for this performance included several of Rachnaninoff’s most popular piano transcriptions which have been used in movie soundtracks and in commercial advertising, such as Gavotte from a Partita by J. S. Bach, Minuet from L’Arlesienne by Georges Bizet and Lullaby by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He also demonstrated his extraordinary skill at the piano keyboard with interpretations of Rachmaninoff 's famous Liebeslied and Liebesfreud and Preludes as well as the composer’s three Nocturnes. Chen won another measure of recognition when he was the first Chinese to perform the three Nocturnes – written when Rachnmaninoff was only 14 – in Asia. His performance Saturday also marked the debut of the three pieces in Southern California.
In 2014 Chen Ruei-bin will continue his worldwide tour with many concerts in China, performing both concertos with orchestras and solo recitals. Wherever he goes around the world, Chen is certain to attract many of his ardent fans and win over new followers to him and to classical music.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Rueibin Chen to Perform TOTAL RACHMANINOFF Piano Recital at Segerstrom Concert Hall


Rueibin Chen to Perform TOTAL RACHMANINOFF Piano Recital at Segerstrom Concert Hall, 12/7 
November 27 2013 , By BWW Classical.world.com

Invited to be the opening soloist performing the Yellow River Concerto in the 2010 World Expo in China, critics hailed it as the best performance of the iconic piece in its history!

As the youngest prize winner of the International Rachmaninoff Piano Competition, the world-renowned Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen is deeply influenced by his teacher, Lazar Berman, who is descended from Liszt, Siloti, Goldenweiser and Rachmaninoff. The tour "Total Rachmaninoff" is named after Rachmaninoff and is held in honor of the 140th anniversary of his birth. He is the first pianist to perform Rachmaninoff's Three Nocturnes in Asia and California, USA. On 12/7 Saturday at the famous Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County, along with major transcriptions and compositions from the legendary Rachmaninoff, it will also be the S. Cal premiere of the rarely-heard Three Nocturnes written when the composer was a teenager.

This magnificent piano recital by Mr. Chen is a must-see performance and opportunity to see the "Angel Fingered" pianist to pay his highest tribute to Rachmaninoff with complete artistic finish.

About the Artist:
http://www.rueibinchen.com/

For videos:
http://www.rueibinchen.com/videos.html

For tickets:
http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=132


$109, $89, $69, $49, $29
Read more about Rueibin Chen to Perform TOTAL RACHMANINOFF Piano Recital at Segerstrom Concert Hall, 12/7

http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=94
.
http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=94

Greetings from Spittelburg in Vienna!


The Weihnachtsmarkt is beautiful. Wish you all Happy Thanksgiving!

Come join us at the beautiful Segerstrom Concert Hall on Saturday 12/7 for the "Total Rachmaninoff" extravaganza!



Please repost and share with your friends about this great composer. Come join us at the beautiful Segerstrom Concert Hall on Saturday 12/7 for the "Total Rachmaninoff" extravaganza!
http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=94

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Born: 1873, Semyonovo, Russia
Died: 1943, Beverly Hills

“Music is enough for a lifetime – but a lifetime is not enough for music.”

As a young composer, Rachmaninoff followed in the tradition of his idol Tchaikovsky, adding to his composing skills a phenomenal prowess as a pianist and great gifts as a conductor. As the new century developed around him, his music stubbornly retained many of the characteristics of his idol, but always with the unmistakably personal stamp of its creator. For many years Rachmaninoff was better known as a piano virtuoso, but his compositions have come to be acknowledged as supreme masterworks of the Russian school.

Pianists and their hands


Rachmaninoff was known for having very big hands. How many keys can yours stretch across? And how big were Rachmaninoff's hands? Max Harrison in Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings said that "Rachmaninoff could with his left hand stretch C–E-flat–G–C–G and the right could manage C (second finger)–E–G–C–E (thumb under).” 

Below please see two pictures. On the left hand side is Maestro Rachmaninoff's hands. On the right hand side is yours truly!

Happy Thanksgiving from Warsaw!


Happy Hanukkah and Happy Thanksgiving from Warsaw, Poland! It is very cold here ...

I am most honored to have been invited by the brand new state-of-the-art Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills to be the first soloist to perform in their inaugural season.

The concert is scheduled for next March. Subscriber tickets just went on sale recently and single tickets won't be available till January.

A friend just told me that he heard about the concert and wanted to buy tickets but there is only 1 ticket left! I am most grateful for the love and support from the classical music patrons in LA. I can't wait to perform at the Wallis! It is the talk of the town and a labor of love 15 years in the making! The architecture is amazing!

For those of you who cannot get tickets for the March performance, I look forward to seeing you on Saturday 12/7 at the beautiful Segerstrom! The acoustics is one of the very best in the world!

Click the link below for more info about the program:
http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=132


http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=132

Listen to the international sounds of Rueibin Chen live in concert!


Rueibin Chen
Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall - Costa Mesa, CA
SATURDAY / Dec 7, 2013 / 8:00 PM

Listen to the international sounds of Rueibin Chen live in concert! Witness this exciting world music event with Rueibin Chen tickets from Vivid Seats. Sure to be a night of cultural celebration and fantastic music, Rueibin Chen is a show you don't want to miss.

http://www.vividseats.com/concerts/rueibin-chen-tickets.html

http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534&NavID=132

www.rueibinchen.com

Sunday, November 17, 2013

K-EARTH 101 THE GREATEST HITS ON EARTH


RUEIBIN CHEN - TOTAL RACHMANINOFF

http://events.kearth101.cbslocal.com/costamesa/events/rueibin-chen-total-rachmaninoff-/E0-001-062622152-5

Dec 7, 2013
Sat 8:00 PM


EVENT DETAILS

Program includes:
Rachmaninoff : Prelude in G Major Op. 32 No. 5
Rachmaninoff : Prelude in G-sharp Minor Op. 32 No. 12
Rachmaninoff : Prelude in D Major Op. 23 No. 4
Rachmaninoff : Three Nocturne Op. 1 No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, No. 2 in F Major, No. 3 in C Minor (California premiere)
Rachmaninoff : Etude-Tableau in D Major Op. 39 No. 9
Bizet/Rachmaninoff : Minuet from
 L'Arlésienne
Tchaikovsky/Rachmaninoff : Lullaby
Kreisler/Rachmaninoff : Liebesleid
Kreisler/Rachmaninoff : Liebesfreud


Described as an artist who "plays with the white-hot energy, steel-fingered, power and athletic virtuosity... has impetuosity and undeniably impressive technique.” The world-renowned Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen has successfully showed that he can play with delicacy and imagination. As the youngest prize winner of the International Rachmaninoff Piano Competition, Chen is deeply influenced by his teacher, Lazar Berman, who is descended from Liszt, Siloti, Goldenweiser and Rachmaninoff. The tour “Total Rachmaninoff” is named after Rachmaninoff and is held in honor of the 140th anniversary of his birth.

Rueibin Chen's "Total Rachmaninoff" Piano Recital




Saturday, Dec 7    Pm:8:00

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
you can find out more about the concert and order online at:
http://www.scfta.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=11122
www.rueibinchen.com

Orange County REGISTER

Rueibin Chen's " Total Rachmaninoff " Piano Recital

Saturday, Dec 7      Pm:8:00

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Rueibin Chen Total Rachmaninoff

12/7/2013  Rueibin Chen Total Rachmaninoff
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1534

 www.rueibinchen.com

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

Rueibin Chen Rehearsing at the Taipei Arena 10/18/2013


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Rueibin Chen to honor Rachmaninoff with Taipei concert

  1. Focus Taiwan News Channel

    Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen will honor the 140th anniversary of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff's birth with a Sept. 10⋯⋯ concert in Taipei, he said from the city on Tuesday.

    Chen will perform Rachmaninoff's three "Nocturnes," "Prelude in D Major, Op. 23 No. 4" and "Etude-Tableau in D major Op. 39 No. 9," along with the composer's piano transcriptions of works by Bach, Schubert, Tchaikovsky and other musical luminaries.
    "Rachmaninoff was not only a great composer, but an excellent arranger," said the pianist, who moved from Taiwan to Austria at age 13 to study music.

    Chen said that Rachmaninoff's emotionally charged music helped put him at ease during his lonely days abroad, a feeling that he hopes to share with Taiwanese concertgoers.

    "His music has the power to calm me. There was a time when I didn't see my family for 10 years, and I just put all of those emotions into playing his music," Chen told reporters.

    Chen has been playing piano since the age of five, when his father began to teach him, and eventually went on to study under the late revered Russian pianist Lazar Berman.

    He was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Republic of China in 2004 and performed at the opening ceremony of Shanghai's World Expo in 2010.
    His concert is set to be held at Taipei's National Concert Hall.

    www.RueibinChen.com
    https://www.facebook.com/rcpianist

    Ticket :ERA Ticket
    http://www.ticket.com.tw/dm.asp?P1=0000014959

Rueibin presents an evening of Rachnaminoff




  1. Taiwan News
    2013/09/03

    Master pianist Chen Ruei-bin will appear in concert September 10 at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, presenting a program of popular romantic works that will appeal to m⋯⋯usic lovers of all ages. Chen lends his unique talent and charm to a program featuring works by Russia’s beloved Sergei Rachmaninoff including Liebesfreud Liebesleid’, L'Arlesienne’, Flight of the Bumblebee’, and Midsummer Night's Dream’, as well as three nocturnes and three preludes that always bring enthusiastic responses from listeners. Liebesfreud,liebeseid, Rimsky-Korsakoff-Rachmaninoff: Flights of Bumble bee; nocturne.....
    Liebesfreud,liebeseid, Rimsky-Korsakoff-Rachmaninoff: Flights of Bumble bee; nocturneLiebesfreud,liebeseid, Rimsky-Korsakoff-Rachmaninoff: Flights of Bumble bee; nocturne.....
    Chen has performed all over the world to rave reviews in the international media. In Zurich, Switzerland, the Neue Zurcher Zeitung called him “one of those geniuses that come along once in twenty years. He has immense energy and intensity that is almost supernatural."
    Chen received his first lessons from his father when he was five. At 13 he traveled from Taiwan to Austria to continue his music education, becoming the only Asian student of the late Russian pianist Lazar Berman. Berman once advised Chen, "Music is the most wonderful thing in this world. Through music, many possibilities are created. You must transcend challenges and disappointments and persist to the end. It is vital that you truly recognize the beauty of music." Chen cites this as the one message that has inspired him most throughout his life.
    Chen Ruei-bin has traveled as a soloist with several orchestras from Taiwan on international tours, including the Taipei Symphony on its Asian tour, the Kaohsiung City Traditional Orchestra of Taiwan on tours of the US and Australia, and the Evergreen Symphony and Taipei Symphony on tours of China. He has also worked with many world-renowned conductors.
    In recent years, in addition to his solo recitals and orchestral performances of classical pieces, Chen has devoted a great deal of effort to collaborations and premieres of new solo and piano concerto works. Two critically-acclaimed piano concerto compositions – the Love River Concerto depicting intense feelings for the river in Kaohsiung, and Winter Trilogy, written to celebrate the heritage of Hakka music – were both composed through collaborations with Chen and premiered worldwide in performances at the Lincoln Center in New York, the Sydney Opera House and the Hong Kong Cultural Center.
    While not on tour, Chen devotes much of his time to projects that reflect both his love for music and his compassion for people. In 2012 he was keynote celebrity performer at the American Red Cross Gala in Los Angeles. That same year he organized the first National Piano Competition for Disabled Youngsters in Taiwan. The three winners realized the dream of a lifetime when they performed on stage with Chen in two large concerts. Also in 2012 he participated in a special project called "Play Me, I'm Yours" with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a benefit concert with the Pasadena Symphony in honor of the late Mr. Marvin Hamlisch.
    Chen Ruei-bin has been closely tied to the works of Rachmaninoff throughout his career. Rachmaninoff was widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music.
    At the age of sixteen Chen emerged as the winner in a competition in Italy with a performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata Number 2. Former New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg called Chen's interpretation of Rachmaninoff ‘perfect’, the best he had heard by a young artist in a long time.
    Chen’s widest audience was undoubtedly his performance of Rachmaninoff’s 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’ as part of the original sound track for Christopher Reeve’s movie ‘Somewhere in Time’. Now, in honor of the 140th anniversary of Rachmaninoff's birth, Chen is touring worldwide performing programs dedicated to the composer. In the coming year he will tour Greater China, performing forty concerts with orchestras and solo recitals.

    www.rueibinchen.com

    購票Ticket: 年代售票 ERA Ticket 00886-2-23419898 
    http://www.ticket.com.tw/dm.asp?P1=0000014959

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

TAIWAN TATLER HIGH-T With Rueibin Chen





by Magazine Taiwan Tatler




[This is not a review, this is just sharing my thoughts.] How was the concert of master pianist Rueibin Chen?



                   
If you are a music professional, you must already know him; if you simply are a classical music lover like me, then you must get to know him. Rueibin Chen, an Austrian Chinese pianist branded by the European music critiques as “A genius we only get to see every twenty years,” and “The fifth generation successor of Beethoven’s heritage.” This world class concert pianist was born in Taiwan, you must get to know him!
                                                                               
                                                                            April 17 , 2013 by YOURART

http://www.yourart.asia/news/show/5365


【這不是樂評‧是心得分享】鋼琴大師陳瑞斌 Rueibin Chen 音樂會好聽嗎?


如果你音樂圈內人,一定早已熟知他,如果你和我一樣只是單純喜好古典的聽樂人,那麼這位被歐洲樂評譽為「二十年才出現的一個天才」、「貝多芬第五代傳人」的奧地利華裔國際鋼琴大師陳瑞斌,你一定要認識他,他來自台灣!!



聆聽陳瑞斌的演奏,相信你會和我一樣震撼他在黑白鋼琴鍵上靈活躍動、出神入化的彈奏技巧,時而展現排山倒海似的磅礡氣勢,時而表現珠落玉盤般的清脆輕盈,這樣極富情感的演奏張力和炫麗技藝的表現,令人霎那間為之著迷。他的每一場音樂會曲終,臺下始終掌聲雷動久久不散...


一般人覺得學音樂似乎是有錢人家的專利,而陳瑞斌生長在小康家庭,是個道道地地台灣台南人,五歲由父親啟蒙,六歲就彈貝多芬「悲愴奏鳴曲第三樂章」拿下鋼琴比賽的頭魁,十三歲被國家甄選為音樂資優生送往維也納。一個人隻身前往異地,聽不懂,看不懂,不會說,又內向,凡事都得自己打理,再加上常因練琴被房東趕來趕去,得到處尋覓廉價屋,經歷了一段艱苦的歲月,陳瑞斌部落格一段文章「我是個鄉下小孩,十三歲第一次搭飛機,就飛到維也納去上學。我像沒有退路的過河卒子,只有拚命用功,才不會浪費家裏的錢,也才不會成績不好被退學。如今的孩子因選擇太多,反而缺少毅力,興趣與熱誠容易動搖,往往還沒真正發現工作的內涵就轉身離開,這是幸或不幸?」


他在20歲之前已獲得5項國際鋼琴大賽金牌。並為華沙蕭邦、以色列魯賓斯坦及美國鹽湖城、羅馬等18項國際鋼琴音樂大賽得主。曾獲國際薩爾斯堡藝術節頒發的「最佳音樂貢獻獎」。金曲獎「最佳古典演奏專輯」及「最佳個人演奏」兩大獎項得主。


陳瑞斌的鋼琴傳奇一書中記載著一段話:「我的音樂人生,一段不畏艱難,堅持走自己的路的過程。那段歲月就好比釀造葡萄酒一樣,先要找到合適的土地栽種頂級水果,再熬過發酵與潛藏期之後,才能成為好酒。」陳瑞斌將自己的人生體驗反映至他的鋼琴世界裡,憑藉著對音樂的執著與熱愛,不斷的在藝術的領域擴充自己的疆土,追求著真善美的境界,這位鋼琴大師陳瑞斌今年四月即將首度於台東藝術節演出,不妨闔家來一趟台東知性之旅,走入他的音樂世界,你將體驗一場藝想不到的音樂之旅...


台東藝術節即將演出訊息

2013臺東藝術節-鋼琴大師陳瑞斌Rueibin Chen & Friends 音樂會

時間:2013/04/27 - 2013/04/27

http://www.yourart.asia/news/show/4861



陳瑞斌Rueibin Chen 鋼琴大師班4月28日(日)台東舉行

時間:2013/04/28 - 2013/04/28

http://www.yourart.asia/news/show/4862


更多鋼琴大師陳瑞斌介紹:

陳瑞斌部落格

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/rueibin_pianist/


粉絲團專頁

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rueibin-Chen-%E9%99%B3%E7%91%9E%E6%96%8C-Pianist/111841418849089


大紀元報導:少年陳瑞斌勇闖維也納的感人故事

http://www.epochtimes.com.tw/143/4312.htm



[華裔鋼琴家陳瑞斌傑出音樂成就 獲經文處頒獎] 洛城18台晚間新聞11162012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O470ukwUBrE


20120602《音樂有愛》〈天使手指〉鋼琴大師 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AC1_R6pqVi0#at=31



Chen Rueibin, a Chinese-Austrian born in Taiwan, continued his study under the legendary Lazar Berman. Chen has won medals in various international piano competitions. The recipient of many prizes, Chen was awarded the "Bösendorfer" prize in Vienna and was chosen by the Minister of Culture in Taiwan as the "Best Young Artist". Chen won the "Best Prize for Contributions to Music" at Salzburg International Music Festival and the "Albert Roussel Prize" in Paris . He was awarded the "Taiwan Millennium Best Artistic Performance Award" in 2000, the "Golden Melody Awards" for "Best Performance" and for "Best Album", and the "Character of Highest Potential" in Taiwan. Chen was also honoured by the County Supervisor of Greater Los Angeles County for promoting diplomacy between the United States and Taiwan through music with his solo recital.

Chen was named the Principal Soloist of "Moldova" Iasi and Tirgu Mures Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania.

Programme


28 November 2009 (Sat) 8pm
Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town HallTickets: $150, $120, $90


Performers

Conductor:Wai Sing-fat
Guest Conductors:Wang Fujian, Aik Yew-goh
Piano Solo:Chen RueibinHuqin Solo:Wong On-yuen
Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese OrchestraSpring Melody Chorus


Programme

Orchestra: As the Moon Rises (Ancient tune, Arr. Peng Xiuwen)

Pipa Leading: Kwan Lai-yee

Conductor: Aik Yew-goh

Orchestra: The Dragon (Law Wai-lun)

Conductor: Aik Yew-goh


Piano Concerto: The Yellow River (Yin Chengzong, Sheng Lihong, Chu Wanghua and Liu Zhuang, Arr. Liu Wenjin)


Piano Solo: Chen Rueibin

Conductor: Wang Fujian






Some after thoughts from the 2 most memorable concerts

Rueibin Chen — a reluctant artist Friday, April 6, 2012 By Lin Yuting,


The China Post In March, Austrian-Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen (陳瑞斌) and three young pianists with physical disabilities — presented two “Rueibin Chen & Friends” (愛與陽光音樂會) concerts in Tainan and Taipei, assisted by Chen's colleagues and the Motech Culture and Art Foundation . The China Post caught up with Chen after the event. How did the concerts turn out? The audience was touched but thought it was too brief. They wanted more. Some cried while others held back their tears. Collaborating with the students went smoother than I expected. One student is autistic while the other two are blind. With the autistic student, we had difficulty communicating through words; I used simple, direct instructions like “OK” or “not OK.” But through music we had something in common. The blind students memorized the whole score, not only their parts but also my part. Rehearsing together was more complicated than I thought but we found a way to avoid bumping into each others' hands. Do you think of anything before going on stage? Nothing really. You're almost onstage! What else can you think of? You must always be in peak condition before going on stage, because one cannot warm up backstage. You play right away when you get on. It is cruel but the audience won't sympathize. How did you get onto the pianist's path? I went abroad to study as a child. I studied the piano at my father's behest, and did not enjoy practicing much. Every child in my family competed in music as my father wished. There was a piano in the household when I was born, purchased not for me but for my uncle. Pianos were rare in southern Taiwan at that time; father got it third-hand. I learned to play by recognizing the patterns on the ivory keys formed due to humidity, but the pianos I played on in competitions elsewhere had pristine white keys. I practiced on the family piano until successfully auditioning to study in Vienna. I accompanied a choir everyday for two years, and then went abroad after a year or so of junior high. Back then the Ministry of Education  still had prodigy evaluations, which gave me not funding but a student passport, which allowed me to visit my family in Taiwan without being drafted into the military. How did studying abroad change you? I actually did not practice that much in Vienna. Even to this day I enjoy listening to music more than practicing. There were so many art events in Vienna, more than what you can take in. My [classmates there] kept on reminding me to practice. Almost 30 years later my dad still has not visited Vienna, but we keep in touch over the phone. Who else has influenced you in life? My late teacher Lazar Berman [1930-2005]. Beyond music, he told me about real-life experiences of his coming from Russia to the West, as well as about the dark side of the classical music industry. It is practically a mafia world; to be in the industry and not use the mafia approach is very difficult. Sometimes musicality ends up being entirely sidelined. ■ ► Next, Chen is flying to Los Angeles to play an outdoor concert series. He is also being featured by writer Wu Jie in 'Taiwan Zan' (台灣讚), a book about Taiwan's talents and beautiful places.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Rueibin Chen Piano Recital


Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day.
As a composer, he was one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music.


Rachmaninoff’s music is often used in cinema, especially themes from his second and third piano concertos, as well as the Eighteenth variation of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Rachmaninoff’s melodies have also often been referenced by composers of American popular music.

At sixteen years of age, Rueibin Chen was the youngest prize winner of the International Rachmaninoff piano competition in 1984.

His masterful performances of Rachmaninoff’s complete piano concertos (including the Paganini Rhapsody Op 43) in two consecutive nights at the Taiwan’s National Concert Hall garnered significant critical acclaim. The performance was considered to be first of its kind and left a sensational imprint in the minds of the vast audience.

For the first time in Taiwan, his concert program will feature the complete Rachmaninoff transcriptions; .....Liebesfreud,liebeseid, Rimsky-Korsakoff-Rachmaninoff: Flights of Bumble bee; nocturne.....

Be prepared to immerse yourself in this journey with Ruei Bin Chen as he shares the brilliant sound and colorful melody of Rachmaninoff’s piano legacy.  

Fans Hall-Angel finger pianist Rueibin Chen



Interview with pianist Rueibin Chen as he shares his stories on learning music and experiences in international piano competition.

http://www.singtao.tv/?p=3381

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Rueibin Chen, Taiwanese-Austrian Concert Pianist, Performs at Silicon Valley

Worldjournal
Reporting from Santa Clara, California
May 17, 2013


Invited by the Silicon Valley Taiwanese American Industrial Technology Association (TAITA), Taiwanese-Austrian concert pianist Rueibin Chen arrived in Silicon Valley on May 16th to perform at TAITA's May 18, 2013 annual conference.

Maestro Chen flew in from Beijing to the Bay Area after his performances in China. This is the first time he performs for TAITA. Afterward, he will journey to the East Coast and Europe to record a new CD. His choice of repertoire for the TAITA 2013 annual conference leans more toward the popular side. Also, to entertain the vast engineering minds of the Silicon Valley, he will be playing some computer animation music and some Microsoft Windows system pieces.








Saturday, May 11, 2013

Pianist Rueibin Chen’s “Tung Blossoms, for the Love of Music” spring concert



2013 Hsinchu County Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Series ~ Pianist Rueibin Chen’s “Tung Blossoms, for the Love of Music” spring concert


Come and enjoy “Tung Blossoms, for the Love of Music” spring concert, one of the most anticipated events for the 2013 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival, in which Pianists Rueibin Chen and Wanru Lin’s famous piano four hands, as well as Piazzolla Accordion Quintet, are scheduled to perform at the Auditorium of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 pm.



2013 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival



Hsinchu County cordially invites you to celebrate 2013 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival with Pianist Rueibin Chen’s “Tung Blossoms, for the Love of Music” spring concert. The concert will be held at the Auditorium of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 pm.


2013 Rueibin Chen Piano Masterclass

Rueibin Chen Piano Masterclass




The 2013 Taitung Arts Festival – A Concert by Pianist Rueibin Chen and Friends



On April 27, world renowned pianist Rueibin Chen will team up with pianist Lin Wan-Ru to perform piano duet, playing various well-known classical music pieces, such as Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No. 5, Le Carnaval des Animaux, and many more. The famous soprano Huang Fan-Feng will perform popular opera songs, such as Gounod’s Valse de Juliette, Puccini’s La Rondine and La Boheme. Don’t miss this great opportunity to discover and experience the beauty, joy, power and intensity of classical music. The performance will sure to leave a sensational imprint in the minds of the audiences.

















Thursday, March 7, 2013

Winner of 18 International Piano Competitions, Pianist Rueibin Chen

Translation of excerpt from the  Magazine : MANAGER today

After entering this field of piano concert performance and facing many tough obstacles throughout my journey, I needed to closely examine the finer details and challenges that I came across such as traveling and encountering society on a day to day basis. Sometimes these obstacles hindered my ability to concentrate fully and focus 100% of my attention on my performing career. The challenges that I have faced could not be learned from being a student or textbooks. These were life lessons that I would take with me for the rest of my life. Everything that I have experienced thus far has molded me into the person that I am toda


No matter your social status or class, everyone must face the same life experiences as the next person. Without these experiences, an individual will not fully know what the world is like. Music is a part of the world, and without a thorough understanding of this subject matter, one will be impeded by many obstructions.

Classical music has been in existence for hundreds of years now. All music has different historical backgrounds and each style of music has their own interpretations along with ideas. To the performer, this is a huge challenge to master because each individual has his or her own ideas and personality. It is difficult to escape from other people’s ideas and to create their own soul.

In fact, all the pressure and difficulty of the challenges I had encountered did not prove to be a bad thing. Even beyond that, it was a relief to resolve them and deepened my life experiences. When fully comprehended, the truest feelings within me and the deepest thoughts I have will be reflected on the pieces I play.

This growth within me is difficult to explain and even harder to understand, but the change inside me can be seen in the quality of my performance. From my technical skills, amplitude, artistic expressions, emotions, unique interpretations, and sensitivity, there is an enormous difference in my presentation that cannot be learned nor mastered in one day. Everyone can simply play the piano, but to really become one with the instrument is to have a personality and mind of its own. The true art behind piano is not to simply play the notes of the music but to feel the music being played.

When I play the piano, my true feelings and story of the music come to life and the meaning of the song is conveyed through my fingers. I do not memorize the notes of the music, instead I let them come to me. It feels as if one painting is constantly changing scenes from a sunny landscape to a cloudy day. The weather, colors, and atmosphere are harmonious and the music comes from within my soul and my heart.

This uniqueness is what distinguishes me from others. This is the art of creativity. We all play the same notes but every individual plays so in a different way. Even though the same theme is being depicted, two people who carve it with similar material will have a different outcome. The finished product will not be the same. With me, I simply use the sound of the music to play the piano. When I play, I give my complete emotional involvement and resolute commitment; when I perform, I never cease to touch the audience’s heart. This is my devotion, and it will never change.




Monday, March 4, 2013

Happy birthday to Antonio Vivaldi (3/4/1678-7/28/1741). Recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, his best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons.


Sunday, March 3, 2013

The 2013 Taitung Arts Festival – A Concert by Pianist Rueibin Chen and Friends

Internationally-acclaimed pianist Ruiebin Chen had shown incredible talent for playing the piano at a very young age. It was with Beethoven's Sonata "Pathetique" that he won his first competitive gold medal at the age of 6. He became the winner at age 16 in the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition, and made his European debut in the Grossensaal of the Konzerthaus in Vienna.



A Chinese-Austrian born in Taiwan, Rueibin has won a total of eighteen medals in various international piano competitions in many countries, including Warsaw (Chopin) , Tel Aviv (Rubinstein), Salt Lake City (Bachauer), and Rome (Rachmaninoff, Bellini, and Stresa), etc. Among them, five gold medals were received before the age of 20. Rueibin’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. In addition to the awards from various international piano competitions, Chen has been the recipient of various recognitions such as the "Best Prize for Contributions to Music" at Salzburg International Music Festival and was chosen by the Minister of Culture in Taiwan as the "Best Young Artist". He was awarded the "Golden Melody Awards" for "Best Solo Performance" and for "Best Classical Music Album" in Taiwan.



On April 27, world renowned pianist Rueibin Chen will team up with pianist Lin Wan-Ru to perform piano duet, playing various well-known classical music pieces, such as Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No. 5, Le Carnaval des Animaux, and many more. The famous soprano Huang Fan-Feng will perform popular opera songs, such as Gounod’s Valse de Juliette, Puccini’s La Rondine and La Boheme. Don’t miss this great opportunity to discover and experience the beauty, joy, power and intensity of classical music. The performance will sure to leave a sensational imprint in the minds of the audiences.

For more information about Rueibin Chen and the concert,
please visit
 http://rueibinchen-pianist.blogspot.tw/



Thursday, February 28, 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

Pianist Rueibin Chen , REVIEWS

Neue Zuercher Zeitung (Switzerland)

“He is one of those geniuses that come along once in twenty years. He has immense energy and intensity that is almost supernatural.”


The Boston Globe (U.S.A.)

Headline: “The Power Piano of Ruei-Bin Chen”

“He plays with the white-hot energy, steel-fingered, power and athletic virtuosity . . . has impetuosity and undeniably impressive technique . . Chen showed that he can play with delicacy and imagination.”


Los Angeles Times Front Page Coverage (U.S.A.)

The pianist, Rueibin Chen, who is a competition champ. His biography in the program book noted 18 international metals, five of them gold. He has very fast fingers……。


Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Germany)

“…that he has worked out a stupendous technique, is beyond doubt.”


Alicia de Larrocha (Spain)

“…finds his performance a magnificent one!”


Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (U.S.A.)

“...so many fine achievements and excellent performances.”


Kurier (Austria)

Concert in the Musikverein:

“The pianist Ruei-Bin Chen gave proof that he merits the many prizes he has already won. He performed Ravel's “Gaspard de la Nuit,” first delicately, then swelling in mood and very securely throughout, completely engrossed in his act.”


Wiener Zeitung (Austria)

Headline: “Climax of the Chopin Festival”

“Chen performed the pieces with technical brilliance and a surprisingly high degree of emotional penetration for such a young musician . . . "Trois Mouvements de Petrouschka" by Stravinsky, with the rhythmical and technical difficulties, was mastered in sovereign fashion.”


Salzburger Nachrichten (Austria)

“. . . A pianist's refinement of touch can be anticipated already from the opening bars of “Ondine” from “Gaspard de la Nuit” by Ravel and Ruei-Bin Chen was successful in his rendering of the triple pianissimo of the introductory chords constantly changing in tone colour, which in the beginning overlie the melody line in the bottom part; he presented the piece, which, in terms of sound language, is evocative of Debussy, with intensity in sustaining and increasing the tension: he painted “Le Gibet” in sombre colours and demonstrated all nuances of a pianist's art of touch. “Scarbo,” the last part of Ravel’s “Trois Poemes” after the poems by Aloysius Bertrand calls for the pianist's highest technical skills. Ruei-Bin Chen, however, kept control, lent the work an inner stability and mastered the expressiveness of the piece by constantly changing the dynamics of his performance . . .”


The Times (U.K.)

“He mesmerized the audience as his fingers traveled the ivories with at times mind-boggling precision and swiftness and a level of emotion which delivered each note, each chord, to the heart of each member of the audience.”


Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Independence (U.S.A)

The combination of Chinese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini appeared to provide a box-office boost and Chen did not disappoint in his latest appearance with the orchestra……Both Chen and Outwater offered interesting dynamic shadings throughout the “concerto.”。


South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)

“. . . one could never doubt Mr. Chen's brilliance, and his instinctive feel for the music.”


Et B News (Austria)

“. . . Ruei-Bin Chen who performed his difficult and extensive program with stupendous technical brilliance. With Stravinsky's "Trois Mouvements de Petrouschka" he proved to be a true wizard of the keys, wielding a thunderous stroke.”


Polytika (Poland)

“He succeeded brilliantly in uniting the vigorous themes and the scurrying runs and thrills into a polished whole.”


Min Sheng News (Taiwan)

“In the Third Piano Concerto by Rachmaninoff, Chen brought out his unique talent -- the delicacy and swift precision of his fingers. Even the most complex passages did not unsettle him as the agility of his wrists allowed him facility in playing strong and fast octaves. Towards the end of the piece he put in much force from his upper body and arms to produce the enormous thunder of the music. Rachmaninoff's charm and passionate temper was poignantly expressed through Chen's complete emotional involvement and resolute commitment to his performance and carried the mesmerized audience's fascination to a climax.”


Arts in Season (U.S.A.)

“PCAC brings Carnegie Hall to Pleasanton.....Pianist Rueibin Chen is one of the best.....The event sold out. The audience was entranced.”


Pleasanton Weekly (U.S.A.)

“A rare opportunity to see a world class pianist in a theater setting.”


DAY&NIGHT (Malaysia)

“He is good; that was quite obvious. The audience couldn’t take their ears off him, so to speak. He’s got technique, control, good tone and that elusive quality called “feel”.


Sunday Star (Malaysia)

Headline: “Markings of a master pianist”

“In the Appasionata Sonata, Ruei-Bin demonstrated his Horowitzian finger power. Indeed, it is not Ruei-Bin's repeated display of virtuoso skills but rather two quiet passages (both in the Chopin works), which their reviewer would want to remember his recital by.”


Waschauer Chopin Blaetter (Poland)

“By performing the Chopin Sonata in B-minor (op. 35) the sixteen year old Ruei-Bin Chen from Taiwan made a name for himself as an exceptional talent. Chopin's mature work had a fresh appeal, not the stale and perfunctory renderings one hears so often. The Taiwanese allowed the music to unfold flourish in a rarely noted fashion. Particularly the rather trite funeral march arrested the audience's attention in virtually breathless thrill, and at the conclusion of the last movement, it reaped a wave of thundering applause.”


Wiener Chopin Blaetter (Austria)

“The degree of the young Chinese's mastery of piano technique is exceptional, yet all the more prominently he brought out the young Liszt's capacity for creative, artistic expression.”













Pianist Rueibin Chen , BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Rueibin Chen's distinguished career as an internationally acclaimed pianist has earned him a reputation for technical brilliance, immense energy, and intense artistic expression.

He was invited as the opening soloist in the 2010 World Expo in China, performing the Yellow River Concerto. Critics hailed it as the best performance of the iconic piece in its history. His masterful performances of Rachmaninoff's complete piano concertos (including the Paganini Rhapsody Op. 43) in two consecutive nights at Taiwan’s National Concert Hall garnered significant critical acclaim. The performance was considered to "be the first of its kind and has left a sensational imprint in the minds of the overflowed audience." Such praise befits "one of those geniuses that come along once in twenty years." (Neue Zürcher Zeitung)

A  Austrian born in Taiwan, Chen has won a total of eighteen medals, five of them gold before the age of 20 ; in various international piano competitions in Tel Aviv (Rubinstein), Warsaw (Chopin),Salt Lake City (Bachauer), Vienna, Manresa, and Italy (Rome, Rachmaninoff, Bellini, and Stresa) etc.

Chen received his first piano lessons from his father when he was five. At the age of thirteen, he was selected by the government in a national talent search and was sent to Vienna, Austria; where he obtained a concert diploma from the Vienna Conservatory. Subsequently, he received a soloist's examination award from the Hannover Hochschule für Musik in Germany and then continued his study under the legendary Russian pianist Lazar Berman as his only disciple of Asian descent.


Career

Chen started his career as a child prodigy and concert pianist at age ten when he made his debut with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. He was named the Principal Soloist of "Moldova" Iasi and Tirgu Mures Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania. He has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras around the world, including the Utah Symphony, Budapest Symphony, Prague Symphony, Czech State Philharmonic of Brno, Moscow State Symphony, Russian State Symphony, Singapore Symphony, New Philharmonia Japan, Shanghai Symphony, National Symphony Taiwan, Taipei Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and London Chamber Players among others.

Chen participated at many internationally and historically significant events such as being the designated soloist of the 75th Anniversary of Turkey, the designated soloist for the Macau/China Reunification Celebration Ceremony and he was most honored to be invited by the Chinese government to perform at the World Expo in Shanghai.

He has been selected as the soloist for many orchestral world tours such as with the Taipei Symphony on its Asian Tour, with Kaohsiung City Traditional Orchestra of Taiwan on its America Tour and its Australia Tour, with the Evergreen Symphony as well as the Taipei Symphony on their China Tours. Chen has worked with conductors such as Sergiu Comissiona, Antoni Wit, Pavel Kogan, Joseph Silverstein, and András Ligeti etc..

Chen made his European debut in the Grossensaal of the Konzerthaus in Vienna in 1984 to much acclaim. He has been invited to perform at many festivals, such as the International Salzburg Music Festival, Vienna Spring Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Hong Kong Festival, Taipei Music Festival, Taipei Arts Festival, the International Rachmaninoff Music Festival in Moscow, the Janáček Music Festival in Czechoslovakia, the Chopin Festivals in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, various festivals in Romania and the Auckland International Piano Festival.


Chen tours regularly throughout the world, performing in major concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington DC, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Opera de Monte Carlo, Warsaw Philharmonie, Bolshoi Hall in Moscow, F. Mann Auditorium Tel Aviv, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Symphony Hall in Osaka, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Beijing Music Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Taipei and Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Sydney Opera House. He has also held various position as Artist-in-Residence such as with the Hong Kong Radio Television and has acted as Music Director of various chamber festivals.

In recent years, in addition to his solo recitals and orchestral performances of classical repertoire; Chen has devoted much effort in the collaboration and premiering of new solo and piano concertos works. Critically acclaimed new piano concerto compositions such as the Love River Concerto which depicts the fondness for a famous river in Taiwan and the Winter Trilogy written to celebrate the Hakka heritage were both composed with collaboration with Chen on the piano part and premiered world-wide including performances at Lincoln Center in New York, Sydney Opera House, Hong Kong Cultural Center etc.


Chen is also an active chamber musician and has performed with international chamber groups such as the Lark Quartet and Shanghai Quartet.

He has given master classes in musical strongholds such as the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Masterplayer International Music Academy in Lugano. He has also served as a jury member in international piano competitions in Switzerland.

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth in 2010, Chen launched a project to present a series of concerts featuring Chopin's masterpieces, including solo and piano concerto works, in major cities in America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region from 2008 through 2010.

In addition to his masterful artistry; Chen’s humble background and the hardship he went through as a youngster growing up in Europe all by himself has inspired many young Chinese both in Asia and abroad. His unique blend of East/West sensibility; his Chinese heritage and his European upbringing and training; his humble personality as well as his inspiring personal story has earned him a significant following amongst Chinese all over the world.


In between his demanding touring schedule, Chen has devoted much of his time in helping the underprivileged and various worthy causes. In 2012, he was the keynote celebrity performer at the American Red Cross Gala in Los Angeles and performed for the gala guests and Ms. Jane Seymour. The same year, he organized the first National Piano Competition for Disabled Youngsters in Taiwan. The winners got the dream of a lifetime to perform on stage with Chen in 2 large concerts with over 2000 in the audience.

Most recently, he participated in a special project called “Play Me I’m Yours” with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a Benefit Concert in honor of Maestro Marvin Hamlisch with the Pasadena Symphony.


Recordings

Chen is the best-selling classical musician in Greater China in CD recordings. He has produced a dozen CD recordings with labels such as UNIVERSAL, NAXOS INTERNATIONAL, KKM AUSTRIA and JINGO RECORDS with works by Chopin, Liszt, Wagner-Liszt, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Piazolla and his own transcriptions. His concerts have been broadcasted in many radio and television programs in Europe, Asia, America, and Australia.



Prizes and Recognition

In addition to the awards from various international piano competitions, Chen has been the recipient of various recognitions such as the "Bösendorfer" prize in Vienna and was chosen by the Minister of Culture in Taiwan as the "Best Young Artist". Chen won the "Best Prize for Contributions to Music" at Salzburg International Music Festival and the "Albert Roussel Prize" in Paris. He was invited by the President of Taiwan, Teng-Hui Lee to his Festival Concert at the Presidential Palace, which was broadcast by national radio and television networks. He was awarded the "Taiwan Millennium Best Artistic Performance Award" in 2000, the "Golden Melody Awards" for "Best Performance" and for "Best Album", and the "Character of Highest Potential" in Taiwan. Chen was also honored by the County Supervisor of Greater Los Angeles County for promoting diplomacy between the United States and Taiwan through music with his solo recital at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.


Reviews

Chen's musicianship has been highly praised by many renowned musicians and critics. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was particularly impressed with his astonishing technique. Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha described his playing as "magnificent" and "full of promise." After his performance of Rachmaninoff's second Piano Sonata in a piano competition, he received tremendous accolades from former New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg, who wrote that Chen's interpretation was the best he had heard by a young artist for a long time. The Boston Globe raved, "He plays with white-hot energy, steel-fingered power and athletic virtuosity,” and that he also “show(s) that he can play with delicacy and imagination." Additionally, Christoph Braendle, a well-known Swiss writer, gives a detailed account of the Chinese-Austrian pianist's musical achievements in his book, Die Wiener.


Contact

Capriccio Chamber Orchestra

E-mail : ccoservice@hotmail.com

Tel & Fax : +886-2-85211485

www.rueibinchen.com

http://rueibinchen-pianist.blogspot.com