Ray Chen

Ray Chen is a violinist who redefines what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century. With a media presence that enhances and inspires the classical audience, reaching millions through his unprecedented online following, Chen's remarkable musicianship resonates with a global audience, reflected in his engagements with the foremost orchestras and concert halls around the world.

Initially coming to attention in the 2008 Yehudi Menuhin Competition and the 2009 Queen Elizabeth Competition—where he was awarded first prize—Chen has built a profile in Europe, Asia, the United States, and his native Australia, both live and on disc. Signed to Decca Classics in 2017, he recorded the first album of this partnership that summer with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as a follow-up to his previous three critically acclaimed albums on Sony. His debut Sony album, "Virtuoso," received an ECHO Klassik Award. Profiled as "one to watch" by The Strad and Gramophone magazines, Chen’s recognition has grown to include being featured on the Forbes list of 30 most influential Asians under 30, appearing in the major online TV series "Mozart in the Jungle," and forging a multi-year partnership with Giorgio Armani, who designed the cover of his Mozart album with Christoph Eschenbach. He has performed at high-profile events such as France’s Bastille Day celebrations (broadcast live to 800,000 people), the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm (televised across Europe), and the BBC Proms.

Chen has appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Munich Philharmonic, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestra Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Upcoming debuts include performances with the SWR Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, and Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra. He works with conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Jurowski, Sakari Oramo, Manfred Honeck, Daniele Gatti, Kirill Petrenko, Krystof Urbanski, Juraj Valcuha and many others. From 2012-2015 he was resident at the Dortmund Konzerthaus.

Chen’s presence on social media makes him a pioneer in artists’ engagement with their audiences, utilizing the new opportunities of modern technology. His appearances and interactions with music and musicians are instantly disseminated to a new public in a contemporary and relatable way. He was the first musician invited to write a lifestyle blog for Italy's largest publishing house, RCS Rizzoli, which publishes Corriere della Sera, Gazzetta dello Sport, and Max. He has been featured in Vogue magazine and has launched his own violin case design in collaboration with industry manufacturer GEWA. His commitment to music education is paramount, and he inspires the younger generation of music students with his series of self-produced videos combining comedy and music. Through his online promotions his appearances regularly sell out and draw an entirely new demographic to the concert hall.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, Chen was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music at age 15, where he studied with Aaron Rosand and was supported by Young Concert Artists. He plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. This instrument was once owned by the famed Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim (1831–1907).