Belle Chen

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Belle Chen
Chen performs at Roundhouse, London in 2015
Background information
Born (1988-08-17) 17 August 1988 (age 35)
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
OriginTaiwan
GenresClassical, experimental, sound art, electronica
Occupation(s)Pianist, sound artist, producer
Instrument(s)Piano, keys, sound art, electronics
Years active2010-present
LabelsEito Music
Websitewww.bellechen.com

Belle Chen (born 17 August 1988) is an Australian-Taiwanese pianist, composer, and producer based in London, United Kingdom.

Biography[edit]

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Chen was a national finalist of Australian National Piano Award in 2010. Her younger brother, Eddy Chen is a violinist and half of the Australian musical comedy duo TwoSet Violin. In 2011, she relocated to London to study at Royal Academy of Music, and it was during this time that Chen began experimenting with integrating sound art with classical music. In 2015, Chen was voted as the winner of Classical Rising Star Award at London Music Awards.[1] She has appeared on BBC Radio 3,[2] BBC China,[3] Monocle 24, BBC World Service, ABC FM, Finland Classic Radio, Macroview TV Taiwan, amongst others.

Chen's works have been described as "original and provocative" by Brian Eno[4] and selected as the winner of Curator's Choice for Music Award at 2014 NOISE Festival. With her newfound musical style, Chen debuted as BBC Introducing artist at 2016 Latitude Festival.[5] Max Reinhardt, who saw Chen's performance on BBC Introducing Stage, described her as "a revelation" on BBC Radio 6.[6] In 2016, Chen performed at Royal Festival Hall for BBC Radio 3's 70th Anniversary Celebration.[7]

In 2018, Chen was one of nine jury-selected showcase artists to perform at 2018 Classical:NEXT at De Doelen, where she appears in the representation of Australia and the United Kingdom,[8] and thereby becoming the first Australian artist to perform at the world's largest global art music conference. In the same year, Chen is elected as Associate of Royal Academy of Music for significant contribution to the music profession.[9]

In 2019, Chen was nominated for Australian Music Prize for her experimental classical album ‘Departure.’ In the same year, she sat on the judging panel for the prestigious Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers.

Discography[edit]

Solo recordings[edit]

  • Listen, London: First Impression (2014)
  • Mediterranean Sounds (2016)
  • Mademoiselle (2017)
  • Departure (2019)
  • Destinations (2020)
  • Late Night Sessions: At Home (2020)
  • Late Night Sessions: The Storyteller (2021)
  • Late Night Sessions: New Dawn (2021)
  • The Stone Nest Live Session (2021)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Classic FM. "Join rising star pianist Belle Chen in Classic FM's web chat". Classic FM.
  2. ^ BBC Radio 3. "Bernard Haitink, Belle Chen, Vikki Stone". BBC Radio 3.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ BBC China (2015). "留英訪談:從「聆聽倫敦」到「大地之吻」". Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  4. ^ NOISE Festival. "Belle Chen". NOISE Festival. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  5. ^ Latitude Festival. "Line-Up 2016: Belle Chen". Latitude Festival. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  6. ^ Reinhardt, Max (21 August 2016). "Fresh on the Net: BBC Mixtape". Fresh on the Net. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  7. ^ BBC Radio 3. "Radio 3 presents a BBC Classical Introducing Showcase". BBC Radio 3. Retrieved 11 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Showcase Overview 2018 - Classical:NEXT". www.classicalnext.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Academy Honours Announced - Royal Academy of Music". www.ram.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2018.