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Reuibin Chen, Taiwanese pianist with Jewish mentors, 
to perform three concerts in Southern California 

By Eileen Wingard
jewishsightseeing.com, June 20, 2006

Taiwanese-born piano instructor Hui-Wen Harrison is excited about the upcoming Sherwood Hall recitals of her compatriot, the sensational pianist
Rueibin Chen. The celebrated artist will be in Southern California for three performances, July 1 and 16, 8:00 p.m. in La Jolla’s Sherwood Hall and July 7, 8:00 p.m. in Los Angeles’ Disney Hall.

"There are important Jewish connections," Hui-Wen pointed out to her father-in-law, Donald H. Harrison, founder and editor of Jewishsightseeing.com. "therefore, it would be fitting for you to publicize Chen’s concerts."

For starters, Chen studied under two great Jewish pianists, the late Russian-born virtuoso Lazar Berman and the American concert artist Murray Perahia.
 
Among the five gold medals Chen won in international competitions was the Rubinstein prize. At this competition, held in Tel Aviv, Israel, the gold medal
was presented to Chen by Madame Rubinstein, widow of the great Jewish pianist Arthur Rubinstein after whom the competition is named. Also, among the many music directors Chen has played under, are important Jewish conductors such as Romanian Sergei Commisiona, American Joseph Silverstein and Russian Pavel Kogan.
   
Born in Taiwan, Chen performed at 10 with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. At 13, he was sent by the Taiwanese government to study in Vienna.  There, he obtained a concert diploma.  Then he earned a soloist's examination award from the Hochschule fur Musik in Hannover, Germany.
   
A favorite in Eastern Europe, Chen was principal soloist for two Romanian orchestras and was featured with symphony orchestras in Poland, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Russia, and the Ukraine. He has also performed in England, Germany, Austria and the United States.
   
Chen has recorded CDs on the Naxos Internation, KKM Austria, Universal, and Jingo Record labels, playing works by Romantic and 20th century composers as well as his own transcriptions.
   
Harold C. Schonberg, Jewish-American critic of the New York Times, wrote that Chen’s interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto was the best he had heard in a long time.  The Boston Globe described Chen's playing: "white-hot energy, steel-fingered power, and athletic virtuosity….with delicacy and imagination." And the Neue Zuricher Zeitung called Chen "One of those geniuses that comes along once in 20 years."
   
Rueibin Chen’s recitals in Southern California are presented by the New Tang Dynasty Television. His program will include works by Bach-Gounod,
Schubert-Liszt, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Chopin. Tickets range from $28 to $75 with 10% discount for seniors, students and military. For further information, call 888-2518 or 888-388-2516.