on the stage
A devoted chamber musician and imaginative soloist, pianist Yvonne Chen has been pushing the limits for pianists of the 21st century. Her experience playing in orchestras and varying chamber ensembles have made her adept as a collaborative musician. Meanwhile her wide array of interests within the broad solo piano repertoire makes her a pertinent musician of today. Pushing towards the outer limits of piano repertoire, she continually explores different keyboard instruments such as the sampler, toy piano, and the harpsichord. Even though her performances have taken her across the United States and abroad, Houston has kept her busy. She enjoys presenting unique programs such as her 2014 "Exploration of Harpsichord Music from the 20th century" and continues to have multiple engagements playing exhibit-specific concerts at Houston's Museum of Fine Arts and The Menil Collection.
As a recipient of a Let Creativity Happen! Grant from Houston Arts Alliance, she organized Bach/Berio at the Silos, a walking tour through Houston’s iconic Success Rice Silos for passersby to experience solo masterpieces in a resonant and intimate setting. A 2016 Graduate Presser Awardee, Yvonne organized and performed in Murder Mystery Madness, a dramatic semi-staged immersive event at Galveston Artist Residency using the music of Simon Holt and Salvatore Sciarrino. With Rothko Chapel, she organized and performed Music in Darkness, a performance of Georg Friedrich Haas’ in vain for 24 musicians, in the darkened space.
She has participated in festivals at Banff, Aspen, the International Holland Music Sessions, and Orford, and in masterclasses led by Yoheved Kaplinsky, Emanuel Ax, Jeremy Denk, Julian Martin, and Arie Vardi.
As the recipient of a 2016 Presser Graduate Music Award, she founded Houston-based contemporary music ensemble Loop38.
Rhapsody in Blue with WindSync. Photo by Monica Hindmarsh.
In rehearsal with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra
Mendelssohn trio with Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra
Performing with EEG brain caps for Performing Arts Houston. Photo by Melissa Taylor.
John Luther Adams' In a Treeless Place, Only Snow at Rothko Chapel
Violin and Piano recital at the Menil Collection presented by DACAMERA with Boson Mo, violin.
Performing Schubert Grand Duo presented by CONTEXT
Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra rehearsal for the 2014 East Coast Tour
A performance of Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2 with violinist, Boson Mo at Duncan Recital Hall. Photo by David Engel.
Collaborative concert by Musiqa and HBII. Photo by Lynn Lane.
Bowing a piano in John Cage's Five at the Menil Collection
Performance in Seattle, WA with Living Music Project
Videos
In the Media
Feature in Houston CityBook’s “Music Makes the People Come Together” (April 2019)
Interview with Houston Matters “How Do You Perform Music That Doesn’t Look Like Music?” (October 2018)
Click HERE to read about the Leipzig Trip with her Piano Quartet (May 2015)
Click HERE for video performance of Chong kee Yong's "Yuan-Liu" (March 2015)
Click HERE for her Performance of Satie's Gymnopedies on Houston KUHA 91.7 "The Front Row" (Sept. 2012)