November Concert Guest Artist
Bobby Chen, age 17 and a native of Newton, Massachusetts, attends Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Since his first cello lesson at age 9, Chen has earned accolades from all over the world. As winner of many young artists' competitions, Chen has performed with the Arlington, Brockton, Concord, and Quincy Symphony Orchestras, the New England Philharmonic, the New England Conservatory Preparatory School Orchestra, and will be making his third solo appearance with his hometown Newton Symphony Orchestra in November 2009. Chen’s other public appearances include being a featured soloist at Boston’s New Year’s Eve celebration in 2004.
In 2008, Chen established himself as a premier national talent, becoming the youngest American semi-finalist at the 2008 Stulberg International String Competition. In 2009, Chen also reached the semi-finals of the Johansen International String Competition. He is a National Merit Award Semi-Finalist.
An avid chamber musician, Chen won the 2008 Walden Chamber Players Young Artists' Competition, resulting in a collaboration with the ensemble’s professional chamber musicians in a performance of the Schubert Cello Quintet. This past summer, Chen’s string quartet won the Meadowmount School of Music’s chamber music competition.
Chen is principal cellist of the New England Conservatory’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO), which under the direction of Benjamin Zander has toured all over the world, including China in 2007. In addition to playing in YPO, Chen serves as principal cellist in the Phillips Academy Chamber and Symphony Orchestras and is a senior member of the Phillips Chamber Society.
Chen studies cello with Emmanuel Feldman at the New England Conservatory, and Hans Jorgen Jensen at Northwestern University. He has performed in master classes for esteemed artists such as Bernard Greenhouse, Bion Tsang, Hans Jorgen Jensen, and Joel Krosnick. Chen enjoys spending his summers playing music, having studied with Hans Jorgen Jensen at the Meadowmount School of Music, and Gregory Beaver at the Greenwood Chamber Music Camp.
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To read more about Bobby Chen, follow these links:
From the Phillipian, 2/12/09
Bobby Chen ’10: Cellist Extraordinaire
By Colleen Flanagan
From the Boston Globe West 11/12/09
With cello, young star creates spiral of energy
by Denise Taylor
From the Newton TAB, 11/3/09
Newton teen will perform Dvorak Cello Concerto with Newton Symphonyby Ed Symkus
