Taiwanese-Austrian pianist Rueibin Chen (陳瑞斌) is to give a concert at the National Concert Hall in Taipei next week, performing pieces from the works of Schubert, Scriabin, Tcherepnin and other composers.
The “Dreams & Passion — Rueibin Chen Piano Concert” is to be held on Tuesday.
The program is to include Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s Nocturne; Schubert’s Serenade and Ave Maria, both of which were transcribed by Franz Liszt; and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata.”
Photo: CNA
Chen is to also perform the music of Russian composers Alexander Tcherepnin and Alexander Scriabin, including Punch and Judy; Shadow Play; Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9; and Etude Op. 8, Nos. 11 and 12.
He has put together a diverse program to introduce a variety of pieces to classical music fans in Taiwan, Chen said on Tuesday.
He chose pieces from Tcherepnin because of the composer’s deep connection with the Chinese community, he said.
Not only was Tcherepnin married to a Chinese pianist, but two of his students, Chiang Wen-yeh (江文也) and He Luting (賀綠汀), were from Taiwan and China respectively, and were major influences on the classical music scenes of their respective countries, Chen said.
Scriabin composed Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9, after his right hand was injured, Chen said, adding that the pieces have a special place in his heart.
“But he never gave up, even when he could only play with one hand,” Chen said, adding that he was inspired by Scriabin’s spirit when he had also sustained injuries in the past.
Chen said he will use only his left hand to play the two pieces.
Chen began playing piano at the age of five, with his father as his teacher, before eventually going on to study under the late Russian pianist Lazar Berman. He was named one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Republic of China in 2004 and performed at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
In 2014, Chen performed the Yellow River Piano Concerto (黃河協奏曲) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. That year, he was also a soloist in the inaugural season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California.
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