Rueibin Chen Delivers a Stunning Performance of Brahms’s Masterpiece in Jakarta 陳瑞斌在雅加達精彩演繹布拉姆斯的傑作
Interview and report by Indonesia's national news agency ANTARA World-renowned pianist Rueibin Chen has held a concert in Jakarta, Indonesia. Collaborating with the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra, Chen performed at the Aula Simfonia, performing Johannes Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1.
印尼國家通訊社ANTARA採訪報導
世界知名鋼琴家陳瑞斌在印尼雅加達舉辦了一場音樂會。他與雅加達交響樂團合作，在雅加達交響樂音樂廳演奏了布拉姆斯第一鋼琴協奏曲。
The Voice Crossing of Taiwan and Austria in Rueibin Chen’s Piano
Taiwanese-Austrian classical pianist Rueibin Chen delivered a captivating performance of Piano Concerto No. 1, composed by Johannes Brahms.
Interviewed and Reported by Tempo Magazine (Indonesia) ,
印尼 《時代雜誌》專訪, 23 June 2026
Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen during a rehearsal session at Aula Simfonia, Jakarta, on June 17, 2026. Photo: Tempo
News Summary
Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen performed Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms.
The complexity of Brahms’ composition is considered comparable to Indonesia’s cultural diversity.
Since moving to Austria at the age of 13 to study piano, Chen has lived a life with very limited opportunities to interact with the outside world.
After the musicians of the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra finished performing the opening section of Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 for about four minutes, Taiwanese-born pianist Rueibin Chen slowly pressed the black-and-white piano keys. Under the baton of conductor Stephen Tong, the music flowed from the stage for nearly 50 minutes at the Jakarta Simfonia Hall.
Chen’s deep appreciation of the German classical music tradition was reflected in his warm, emotional, yet distinctive interpretation. It also mirrored the many challenges he experienced in the past while honing his piano technique in Europe after moving to Vienna, Austria, at the age of 13.
Nearly all audience members in Jakarta that evening seemed captivated by the “angelic fingers” of Chen, which produced beautiful sounds from Piano Concerto No. 1.
“Before the concert, I couldn’t sleep. But when I stepped onto the stage, it felt as though there was another life within me, and it was very meaningful,” he told Tempo after the performance on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Chen appeared pleased with his performance, while also enjoying the response from Indonesian audiences. He felt a sense of real life when he saw Indonesian spectators applauding for more than five minutes in the hall.
“This is truly different. I feel more free and patient. This is life, not competition,” he said.
The musician stated that in Europe, orchestra and piano players usually have less than three days to rehearse a work before a performance lasting around 50 minutes.
“This is a long and major work, but the audience remained very calm and enjoyed it without being nervous or bored,” he said.
Philosophical Reflections of Johannes Brahms
Three days before his performance in Jakarta, Chen said that he would perform compositions by the Hamburg-born German composer Johannes Brahms. For Chen, Brahms’ music is highly traditional, important, and influential in the European classical music world.
“I have to try to let the audience know how to understand this music. It is different from popular music. It is not expressed through body language or the piano alone,” Chen said at Aula Simfonia Jakarta on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Chen believes that the uniqueness of Brahms’ music shares similarities with Indonesia’s strong cultural roots. In his view, classical music is not a foreign language to Indonesian society, considering the cultural diversity that has existed for a long time.
Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen during a rehearsal at Aula Simfonia Jakarta on June 17, 2026. Photo: Tempo
Chen explained: “Technically speaking, Brahms is very difficult. It requires many octaves and chords,” said Chen. These are not commonly found in early German compositions, which often used other instruments to accompany the piano.
By relying on the orchestra, the sound of Chen’s piano must still stand out. Brahms’ piano compositions, in his view, must blend cohesively with the orchestra while remaining enjoyable for the audience.
“Brahms spent a long time living in Vienna. Even there, not everyone can receive a standing ovation after performing Brahms. Today I am deeply touched by the audience in Indonesia,” he said.
According to Chen, this is the power of music as a universal language, capable of connecting souls universally.
His arrival in Indonesia before the concert was a symphony that united individuals from various regions. “I am very interested in collaborating with Indonesian classical or traditional musicians. What would happen if a strong Russian piano technique were combined with Indonesian rhythms? It would become a cultural phenomenon on the global stage,” he said.
Only Solitude and the Piano
As a child, Chen had to take an airplane for the first time, with a journey lasting more than 24 hours from Taiwan to Austria. On his mother’s lap in Vienna, at only 13 years old, he already realized the limitations he would face besides simply playing the piano.
“I have never even bought a pair of shoes in German, yet I had to go and live alone during my education,” he said.
Since childhood, Chen had only played the piano at home until the age of 10. He was born to a family of music teachers in Tainan, Taiwan, and began his career as a concert pianist and child prodigy with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra.
At the age of 13, because of his outstanding talent, Chen was sent by the Taiwanese government to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and became the youngest student ever admitted there.
“Those were very difficult times because I was separated from my family at the age of 13. I had to leave my parents and go alone to Vienna. So the first two years were very difficult for me,” he said.
“After arriving in Vienna, I not only studied piano, but also learned German and participated in various competitions, all on my own.”
During his teenage years, Chen did not deny that there were happy moments living a life filled with music, although it was accompanied by simplicity and hardship.
“Loneliness was quite challenging. I didn’t go home for the first ten years.
I only received two phone calls a year from my parents,” Chen said.
That experience shaped a unique blend of cultural sensitivities between East and West, Taiwan’s cultural heritage, and a European education that also influenced the sound and style of his piano playing.
“I was fortunate to be in Vienna, one of the world’s most prestigious cities for music. It was there that I decided to become a professional musician,” he said.
After making his debut in Europe in 1984 at Vienna’s prestigious Konzerthaus concert hall, Chen’s career as a pianist flourished, earning praise from audiences around the world.
His concert repertoire ranges from the works of classical music lovers across Europe to pieces he has performed internationally.
Among the many accolades and praises he has received throughout his career as a pianist, one of the most famous is the nickname “the fingers of Horowitz.”
Vladimir Horowitz was a Ukrainian-born pianist who later became a Russian-American citizen, renowned for possessing finger speed likened to a tiger’s leap.
However, Chen believes that the nickname represents the lineage of Russian piano education passed down through Horowitz, rather than merely extraordinary finger speed.
“He inspired me to truly regard the piano as an orchestra,” he said.
Although educated in Vienna, Chen studied diligently under the legendary Russian pianist Lazar Berman, who belonged to the same generation as Horowitz.
Yet his goal was never to become a shadow of his seniors.
“My mission is to use powerful technique to express my own soul, my Eastern roots, and the fire that exists within me,” Chen said.
Vienna-trained pianist Ruibin Chen to perform Brahms in Jakarta
17/06/2026 Reported by RTI NEWS
Pianist Rueibin Chen to
perform masterpieces by Taiwanese composer Chiang Wen-yeh
· Reported by RTI , December 10 , 2024
Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen
Taiwanese pianist Rueibin Chen (陳瑞斌) will hold a series of year-end piano concerts featuring works by Taiwan’s legendary composer Chiang Wen-yeh (江文也). Performances are scheduled for December 11 at National Cheng Kung University’s Cheng-Hsing Auditorium, preceded by a pre-concert lecture on his musical interpretations, and December 18 at the Keelung Performing Arts Center.
A part from his work as a pianist, Chen has made it his mission to promote classical music and the cultures of the Chinese-speaking community, believing that music is a profound form of expression that transcends words. Chen says he was introduced to Chiang’s music at a young age.
Chen noted the similarities of their career paths and that Chiang’s compositions resonate deeply with the overseas Taiwanese community, evoking nostalgia and reflecting their diasporic experiences. Chen described Chiang’s music as a rich tapestry that blends diverse musical influences, incorporating elements of Hokkien, Hakka, and Taiwan’s indigenous cultures. He sees Chiang’s work as a lens through which Taiwan’s multifaceted cultural heritage can be explored.
Chen expressed pride in performing Chiang’s compositions, believing
they would offer the audience a fresh and enriching experience.
新加坡 联合早报 2024/11/21
成才的秘密/成才的“唯一秘密”
前不久，从青年时代就已在国际上享有盛誉的奥地利华裔钢琴演奏家陈瑞斌（Rueibin Chen）来到新加坡，为大众带来一场名为“穿越时空”的演奏会。之前，他还受邀在新加坡艺术大学开展过大师班讲习会。16岁时已凭借精湛演出，在欧洲崭露头角的他，在几乎所有重要钢琴比赛中都曾获奖。近期，我有幸得到了一个与他对话的机会，便事先征集了一些大众感兴趣的问题，其中，很多家长都希望这位受仰慕的钢琴家谈一谈成才的方法。对此，陈瑞斌也很愿意分享，并强调说，那是他“唯一的秘密”。
送孩子早早地去学习钢琴，似乎是一个不灭的热潮。一代又一代的父母，很多都曾在这条路上push过自己的孩子。学习音乐，是一件美好的事，但是被逼坐在钢琴前苦练数小时的孩子可不一定这么想。但有人觉得，小孩子都是要逼一逼的，才不至于浪费潜在的天赋；还有人觉得，就算天资普通，通过正确的练习，成功也指日可待。天赋和努力，在长才的道路上，究竟哪个更重要，引来长久争论。因此，在和陈瑞斌的对谈中，我也提出了这个家长们关心的问题。
陈瑞斌从不否认天赋和努力的作用，他生于台湾，年幼时就表现出杰出的音乐才能，13岁离乡独自赴维也纳学习音乐，16岁时便成为拉赫玛尼诺夫（Rachmaninoff）钢琴比赛中最年轻的获奖者。他说，每个人都有自己的个性，也不可能把所有作曲家的作品都诠释的一样好，这其中涉及到一个人的敏锐度、观察以及感受的能力，这个大概就是体现天赋的部分。但是13岁就独立求学的他，面对的困难很多，尤其是在一个当时很少有华人、语言也不通的异国他乡，如果没有超越常人的努力，他也很难达到目前的成就。但是，他并不觉这些值得关注。他说，在成才的道路上，有着比天赋和努力更加重要的东西，那才是他成才的“唯一的秘密”。
“唯一的秘密就是保持忠实”，他说，“我每天都问自己愿不愿意当一个艺术家，当选择了这条路，就忠实地走下去。”这种忠实不仅是专业上的热忱和委身，更是对自己的一种追问，包括自己如何看待自己，自己想要成为怎样的一个人。他说：“我二十多岁的时候就想过，我离开这个世界的时候，要留什么东西下来。我要做一个艺术家，一个可以传承文化的艺术家，这种想法我一直都没有怎么变。”
早在1970年代，研究资优教育的学者任汝理（J.S.Renzulli）就提出过一个“资优三环理论”（Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness）。他说，经过长年的研究，由于其独特的成就和创造性贡献而获得认可的人，都拥有相对明确的三组相互关联的特征，分别是：高于平均水平（但不一定是卓越）的能力、任务投入和创造力（above average, though not necessarily superior, ability, task commitment, and creativity）。他还指出，这三者中没有任何一个单一元素能够“产生天赋”。相反，这三者之间的相互作用，才是创造性人才产生的必要因素。他还特别强调，人们犯的主要错误之一就是过分强调“卓越的能力”，而忽视了其他特征。
在解释什么是task commitment时，任汝理说这是一种高度精炼和专注的动机（a refined or focused form of motivation），我们可以从字面上翻译为任务投入，但实际上这包含着一种委身的精神，一种对目标的忠实，一种百折不挠坚定走下去的毅力。任汝理也说，常用于描述task commitment的用词包括毅力、耐力、努力工作、专注实践、自信以及确信自己有能力完成重要工作等。任汝理的研究受到了广泛认可，相关领域的其他学者们对取得非凡成就者的研究也一致表明，他们都有对所选择的领域主题的痴迷与高度投入。
因此，当我们带领孩子们进入音乐领域或者踏上学琴之路时，我们也要看孩子是否真正热爱音乐，热爱才能把一切艰难都化为力量。正如陈瑞斌所说，想要成才，首先要对自己选择的道路有清楚的认知，包括作为艺术家，有可能会经历什么样的困难，该怎么样去克服它。在他眼中，音乐胜过言语，是世界上最美好的事物。他说，当我们只把音乐或钢琴当成一种工具的话，就会产生很多冲突，我们在教育中要注重让孩子真正享受音乐，享受音乐带来的那种生命的和谐，并在其中追寻他自己。他常年演出，并从事教学和文化推广工作，也曾接触很多家长和学生，他说，“家长和小孩的互动，不理想的很多”。如果人们抱着一种投资报酬率的心态去培养孩子的话，可能就要承受很多失望。
兼具中西方文化背景的陈瑞斌在谈到教育时，还指出一点，那就是西方的孩子更加独立，正是因为从小就学着为自己做决定，为自己的选择负责。虽然一开始会比较艰难，但他们自己选择了人生道路之后，意志通常比较坚定，因此在各种专业领域都可以做到相当地专精和细致。我想，也许这才是每个望子成龙的家长和所有关心教育的人，应该下功夫的地方，即如何激发孩子自己内心的动力，在某个领域乐在其中和忠实委身，让孩子成为他自己真正想要成为的那个人。
There will be two special concerts and a guided lecture in December. I will personally demonstrate in front of the piano how to use music and piano playing techniques to express the story of the music scene! Welcome everyone to participate!
12 / 11 (三) 台南國立成功大學成杏廳 晚間 7:3012 / 18 (三) 基隆 基隆表演藝術中心演藝廳 晚間 7:30
洽詢：綺想室內樂團 886-2-85211485
