Jiafeng Chen

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Jiafeng Chen
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Jiafeng Chen
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1987|04|13
flagicon|PRC Shanghai, China
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Violin
Genre = Classical
Occupation = musician
Years_active =
URL = http://jiafengchen.com/
Notable_instruments = Nicolò Gagliano in Napoli 1751

Jiafeng Chen (b. April 13, 1987) (zh-s|s=陈佳峰), born in Shanghai, is a young Chinese violinist. He started to play the violin at the age of 3 and gave his first concert at 8.

In December 2005, aged 18, Jiafeng Chen won 2nd Prize in the prestigious International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki. This 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 Hämeenlinna, as well as invitations to perform in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, UK and South Africa.

Jiafeng is already building an international career after winning 1st Prize at the 9th Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland, with further prizes from the European Union Music Competition and the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music, and 2nd Prize at the 13th Menuhin International Violin Competition 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 country of U.S.A.

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 has had numerous concerts throughout the world. He has performed as soloist with many eminent orchestras and conductors, including the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Halle Orchestra (Rory Macdonald), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Petri Sakari), Tapiola Sinfonietta (Paavo Berglund) and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (John Storgards).

He has recently had masterclasses with Burkhard Godhoff, Eduard Grach, Tuomas Haapanen, Piotr Janowski, Herman Krebbers, Pierre Amoyal, 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.

Education

*1990 - 1995 with Prof. Shixiang-Peter Zhang (Chinese: 张世祥)

*1996 - 1999 the Music primary School affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Prof. Jiyang Zhao (Chinese: 赵基阳）

*1999 - 2004 the Music Middle School affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Prof. Lei Fang (Chinese: 方蕾)

*2004 - 2006 Chetham's School of Music, Manchester (Prof. Jan Repko)

*2006 - present the Royal College of Music, London (Prof. Jan Repko)

Prizes

*1995 2nd prize, Shanghai "Yi-Fu" Cup (Chinese: 逸夫杯) Violin Competition

*2001 2nd prize, the 7th National Youth Violin competition, China

*2003 1st prize, the 9th International Wieniawski Violin Competition with further prizes from the European Union Music Competition and the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music, Poland

*2004 3rd prize, the 4th International Novosibirsk Youth Violin Competition, Russia

*2004 Manoug Parikian Award, Musicians Benevolent Fund String Award 2004, UK.

*2005 Winner, Concerto Competition at Chetham's School of Music

*2005 Runner-up & the Most Promising under 18 Quartet, the National Youth String Quartet Competition, UK.

*2005 2nd prize, the 9th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, Finland

*2006 Junior Award, Hattori Foundation 2006, UK.

*2006 Education Award, Musicians Benevolent Fund String Award 2006, UK.

*2007 Senior Award, Hattori Foundation 2007, UK

*2008 2nd Prize, the 13th Menuhin International Violin Competition for Youth, Cardiff, U.K.

References

* [http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Alina+Pogostkin+wins+Jean+Sibelius+Violin+Competition+/1101981857572 2nd place in the Jean Sibelius Competition]

External links

* [http://www.jiafengchen.com Jiafeng Chen's Official Website]
* [http://www2.siba.fi/sibeliuscompetition/eng/index2.html Jean Sibelius Competition]
* [http://www.lsqf.com/nyc2005-winners-final.shtml National Youth String Quartet Runner Up]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/venues/trafalgar.shtml BBC Proms-Trafalgar Square]