Jiafeng Chen

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 France.

Jiafeng is already building an international career after winning 1st Prize at the 9th International Competition for Young Violinists K. Lipinski and H. Wieniawski in Lublin (Poland) and 2nd Prize at the 13th Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in Cardiff.

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. In 2002, he gave solo performances across the USA.

In 2004 he moved to England to study at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and soon he 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 and his recital was broadcasted on BBC radio 3; the Lake District Music Festival, and the Shanghai 'Spring' International Music Festival. He has had numerous concerts throughout the world. He has also performed as soloist with many eminent orchestras and conductors including the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Halle Orchestra (Rory Macdonald), Manchester Camerata, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Petri Sakari), Tapiola Sinfonietta (Paavo Berglund) and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (John Storgards).

He has recently had master classes 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 Nicolo Gagliano (Naples, 1751), kindly on loan from the Violin Syndicate owners.

Repertoire

Solo

J. S. Bach, Solo Sonata No. 1 (BWV 1001); No. 2 (BWV 1003), Solo Partita No. 1 (BWV 1002); No. 2 (BWV 1004); No. 3 (BWV 1006)
H. Ernst, Etude No. 1, Erlking
N. Milstein, Paganiniana
N. Paganini, Caprices (op. 1, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
J. Roukens, Un Cuadro de Yucatan (a violin caprice)
E. Salonen, Lachen Verlernt (2002)
H. Wieniawski, Caprices (op. 10, No. 8; Op. 18, Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
E. Ysaye, Solo Sonata No. 3 in D minor ‘Ballade’, No. 6 in E Major

with Piano

L. v. Beethoven, Sonata No. 5 in F Major (Op. 24); No. 7 in C minor (Op. 30 No. 2); No. 8 in G Major (Op. 30 No. 3)
J. Brahms, Sonata No. 1 in G Major (Op. 78); No. 2 in A Major (Op. 100); No. 3 in D minor (Op. 108)
W. A. Mozart, Sonata in E minor (KV. 304); in A Major (KV. 305); in B flat Major (KV. 378); in G Major (KV. 379); in E flat Major (KV. 380)
N. Paganini, Sonata No. 6 in E minor (Op. 3, No. 6) for Piano and Violin
F. Poulenc, Sonata for Piano and Violin (1943-49)
S. Prokofiev, Sonata for Piano and Violin (Op. 94a)
M. Ravel, Sonata in G (1923-7) for Piano and Violin
F. Schubert, Sonata No. 3 (Op. 137) for Piano and Violin, Sonata in A Major ‘Grand Duo’ (D 574) for Piano and Violin
G. Tartini, Sonata No. 4 in G minor (Op. 1) for Piano and Violin, The Devil's Trill Sonata

Concertos

J. S. Bach, Concerto No. 2 in E Major (BWV 1042), Concerto in D minor for 2 Violins (BWV 1043),Concerto in C minor for Violin and Oboe (BWV 1060)
B. Bartok, Concerto Nos. 1, 2
L. van Beethoven, Concerto in D Major
J. Brahms, Concerto in D Major
M. Bruch, Concerto in G minor (Op. 26)
J. Conus, Concerto in E minor
E. Elgar, Concerto
J. Haydn, Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole in D minor (Op. 21), mov. 1
F. Mendelssohn, Concerto in E minor (Op. 64)
W. A. Mozart, Concerto No. 1 in B flat Major (KV. 207); No. 3 in G Major (KV. 216); No. 4 in D Major (KV. 218); No. 5 in A Major (KV. 219), Sinfonia Concertante in E flat Major (KV. 364) for Viola, Violin and Orchestra
N. Paganini, Concerto No. 1 in D Major (Op. 6); No. 2 in B minor (Op. 7)
S. Prokofiev, Concerto No. 2 in G minor (Op. 63)
J. Sibelius, Concerto in D minor (Op. 47)
P. Tchaikovsky, Concerto in D Major (Op. 35)
H. Vieuxtemps, Concerto No. 4 in D minor (Op. 31); No. 5 in A minor (Op. 37)
A. Vivaldi, Concerto in A minor for 2 Violins
H. Wieniawski, Concerto No.2 in D minor (Op.22)

Short/Show Pieces

M. Arnold, Five Pieces for Violin and Piano (Op. 84)
L. v. Beethoven, Romance in F Major (Op. 50)
J. Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 17 (arr. Kreisler)
A. Dvorak, Humoresque, Songs My Mother Taught Me (arr. Kreisler)
G. Faure, Berceuse (Op. 16)
G. Gershwin, It Ain’t Necessarily So (arr. Heifetz)
F. Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro, Minuet, Tambourin chinois, Caprice viennois, Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Danse espagnole, Sicilienne and Rigaudon, Liebesleid
E. Korngold, Much Ado About Nothing Suite (Op. 11)
J. Massenet, Meditation from ‘Thais’
O. Novacek, Perpetuum Mobile
A. Piazzolla, History of the Tango: Cafe 1930, History of the Tango: Concert d'aujourd'hui
M. Ponce, Estrellita (arr. Heifetz)
M. Ravel, Tzigane
C. Saint-Saens, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor (Op. 28)
P. Sarasate, Malaguena (Op. 21, No. 1), Romanza andaluza (Op. 22, No. 1), Navarra for two violins (Op. 33), Introduction and Tarantella (Op. 43)
D. Shostakovich, Four Preludes (Nos. 10, 15, 16, 24) from 24 preludes (Op. 34)
J. Sibelius, Humoresque I (Op. 87 No. 1) in D minor; Humoresque II (Op. 87 No. 2) in D Major; Humoresque VI (Op. 89d) in G minor
P. Tchaikovsky, Waltz-Scherzo (Op. 34), Melodie (Op. 42, No. 3)
T. Vitali, Chaconne
F. Waxman, Carmen Fantasy
J. Williams, Schindler's List
H. Wieniawski, Variations on an Original Theme (Op. 15), Scherzo-tarantelle (Op. 16), Polonaise brillante No. 2 in A major (Op. 21)

Major Chinese Music

Gang Chen / Zhanhao He, The Butterfly Lovers Concerto, The Sun Shines on Tashkurgan
Luting He, Lullaby
Guoquan Li, Fisherboat Sings at Night
Si-Cong Ma, Song of Nostalgia

If you are interested in working with Jiafeng Chen, please get in touch with the EMCY Office.