hn Chen Returns To Tour With His Award-Winning Trio

Acclaimed NZ Pianist John Chen Returns To Tour With His Award-Winning Trio

Acclaimed New Zealand pianist John Chen returns to the country this month to tour with his award-winning ensemble Saguaro Trio as part of Chamber Music New Zealand's Kaleidoscopes season.

The German-based trio begins its tour in Invercargill on Monday 18 July, before heading to Dunedin, Nelson, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Auckland, New Plymouth and finishing in Christchurch on Wednesday 10 August.

In 2001 John Chen was a member of the winning quartet at the annual Chamber Music Contest presented by Chamber Music New Zealand. This year he and his trio are guest judges at this year's New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest National Finals on Saturday 16 July.

John went on to be the youngest ever winner of the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition, where he also won prizes for the best performance of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, chamber music and concerto. Since then, he has performed across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand and has recorded CDs for Naxos and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

While working towards his Artist Diploma at Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, John formed the Saguaro Trio with musicians Luanne Homazy (violin) and Peter Myers (cello). The ensemble burst onto the international music scene with stunning successes in the world's most exclusive chamber music competitions. The group placed third in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in the United States, and second in the 6th Osaka International Chamber Music competition in Japan, both in May 2008. In 2009 they solidified their reputation as one of the most thoughtful and engaging young ensembles in today's classical music world by taking first place at the International Chamber Music Competition in Hamburg, where they also won the special prize for the best performance of a work by Brahms.

The Saguaro Trio has performed in the USA, Canada, Germany and Japan, including prestigious venues such as Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. In February 2010 they gave the world premiere of American composer Philip Maneval's second Piano Trio. They have been broadcast on national radio in Germany, and their forthcoming CD will contain works by Haydn, Babadjanian and Ravel. The concert programme for the New Zealand tour includes a newly-commissioned piece, "?", or: Why Gryphons Shouldn't Dance by Christchurch composer Alwyn Westbrooke, as well as works from Ravel, Schubert, Hummel, Arensky and Brahms.

Alwyn made Chamber Music New Zealand history in 2000 when his string quartet won the National Chamber Music Contest playing his own composition and says writing for the Saguaro Trio has been "a great privilege for me. The knowledge that one can place any and all conceivable demands on one's performers - technical as well as musical - and that these will surely be met, is at once a source of security and a considerable challenge." The Saguaro Trio performs in 10 centres nationwide from 18 July to 10 August. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.chambermusic.co.nz. Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative New Zealand.

ENDS

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