Ray Chen Records the Two Works with which he Conquered both the Menuhin and the Queen Elisabeth Competitions - Available Feb 7th

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THE MENDELSSOHN AND TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTOS

Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of Ray Chen’s first concerto recording on the label with the two Romantic masterpieces that have played a significant role in the young artist’s career to date. His interpretation of the Mendelssohn E minor Violin Concerto led to his triumph at the 2008 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. The following year the violinist’s insightful performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto secured him first prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. For his second Sony release available on February 7, Ray Chen is joined by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its musical director Daniel Harding.


Ray Chen brings a fresh interpretation to these cornerstones of the violin repertoire and he finds kindred spirits in Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. “Music is teamwork,” says Ray Chen, and he explains his choice of these works for the new release on Sony Classical: “I won with Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. Maybe I bring something new and fresh to them. In any event, I would never take on something that I didn’t feel ready for.” Alongside his technical mastery, it is precisely the maturity of his playing which has impressed many critics. In the words of the Chicago Tribune: “He is an exceptional talent.”


His debut album, Virtuoso, was released worldwide by Sony Classical in early 2011 to great critical acclaim. “This is a hugely exciting debut album, “stated BBC Music Magazine, and the Financial Times observed that “Chen’s artistry blazes.” The album also received the German ECHO Klassik Award 2011 and the French Classica Magazine’s Choc de Classica award.

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