{"id":124294,"date":"2026-05-14T16:06:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=124294"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:07:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:07:44","slug":"interview-pianist-kevin-chen-talks-upcoming-koerner-hall-recital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/05\/14\/interview-pianist-kevin-chen-talks-upcoming-koerner-hall-recital\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Pianist Kevin Chen Talks About His Upcoming Koerner Hall Recital"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_124296\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124296\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-124296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624.jpg\" alt=\"Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo: Yoel Levy)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-124296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo: Yoel Levy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At 21 years of age, Kevin Chen has already carved out an enviable international career. The Canadian pianist took home Second Prize at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in October 25.<\/p>\n<p>His choice of repertoire at the competition\u2019s second stage, the complete set of Chopin \u00c9tudes, op. 10, created a significant buzz, particularly from the Polish press. But, Chen\u2019s shelf was already home to multiple first prize wins from international competitions, even before Warsaw.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s coming to Toronto\u2019s Koerner Hall for a recital on May 24, and LV caught up with him for a chat.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin performs at the <span class=\"s2\">Sala Koncertowa Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie during the second round of the The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2025:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MsaCHVBpGvI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Kevin Chen<\/h2>\n<p>Kevin Chen began studying the piano at the age of five in Edmonton, where he was born. It wasn\u2019t long before he started gaining attention from the media, audiences, and competition adjudicators. He won first place at the Canadian Music Competition at the age of eight.<\/p>\n<p>That same year, still eight years old, he earned his Associate of The Royal Conservatory (ARCT) Diploma, and was at that time the youngest student to receive First Class Honours with Distinction on his ARCT Piano Performer\u2019s exam.<\/p>\n<p>Other competition wins include First Prizes at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (Tel Aviv 2023);<\/li>\n<li>The Concours de Gen\u00e8ve (2022);<\/li>\n<li>The Franz Liszt International Piano Competition (Budapest 2021);<\/li>\n<li>The Hilton Head International Piano Competition (2020);<\/li>\n<li>The International Piano-e-Competition (Minneapolis 2019).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Kevin has performed with major orchestras across the globe, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian National Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.<\/p>\n<p>He has been a featured performer at notable international festivals such as La Roque d\u2019Anth\u00e9ron, Chopin and His Europe (Warsaw), and Duszniki-Zdr\u00f3j, and he\u2019s taken the stage at venues that include Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Munich Prinzregententheater, St. John\u2019s Smith Square (London), and the Taipei National Concert Hall.<\/p>\n<p>He currently studies at the Hochschule f\u00fcr Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin made his Koerner Hall debut on December 15, 2024 and will return next year, on March 21, 2027, with Illia Ovcharenko to play a two-piano version of Beethoven\u2019s Ninth Symphony.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_124297\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124297\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-124297\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin-Chen-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo: Fabrice Umiglia)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin-Chen-3-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin-Chen-3-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin-Chen-3-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin-Chen-3-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-124297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo: Fabrice Umiglia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Kevin Chen: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>Kevin began playing piano at a very early age, too early to have any thoughts of a professional career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t remember of this personally,\u201d he says. \u201cI had a toy keyboard when I was two or so, according to my parents. It had nursery rhymes and easy melodies programmed into it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His parents realized that he enjoyed playing it a great deal, and began his formal lessons early.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt just feels like piano was always part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was no particular moment when he decided on a career as a musician. It just worked out that way. \u201cI also didn&#8217;t have any specific moment when I had to make that decision,\u201d he says. \u201cIt feels like my journey has always consisted of small steps. I never really had to think about becoming a professional pianist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Chen performs Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S.124 in 2021 with the Filharm\u00f3nia Magyarorsz\u00e1g:<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GOKhyTGwk6s?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>The Program<\/h3>\n<p>His repertoire for the upcoming recital will include Fryderyk Chopin\u2019s: Trois Nouvelles \u00c9tudes, B.130, and 12 \u00c9tudes, op. 10, along with Alexander Scriabin\u2019s Pr\u00e9lude in B Major, op. 11 no. 11, Fantasy in B Minor, op. 28, and Vers la flamme, op. 72. He\u2019ll wrap up with Franz Liszt\u2019s \u201cLes jeux d\u2019eau \u00e0 la Villa d\u2019Este\u201d from Ann\u00e9es de P\u00e8lerinage, Vol. 3, S.163, no. 4, and Les pr\u00e9ludes, S. 97 (transcr. Kevin Chen).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew I wanted to play Chopin since I guess he&#8217;s one of my favourite composers now,\u201d Chen says. \u201cI just feel at home with Chopin and Liszt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He notes that he\u2019s been playing the music of both composers for a few years now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI also wanted to play something else, that&#8217;s how I stumbled upon Scriabin,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cI think there is a huge amount of variety in his compositional techniques.\u201d The composer\u2019s early works, as he points out, are very romantic, along the lines of Chopin. \u201cWhen you get to his later works, it&#8217;s almost like it&#8217;s not the same composer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Scriabin\u2019s Vers la flamme forms a kind of counterpoint to Liszt\u2019s \u201cLes jeux d\u2019eau \u00e0 la Villa d\u2019Este\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3>Next Steps<\/h3>\n<p>Kevin has composed more than 100 pieces, including symphonies. He transcribed Liszt\u2019s Les pr\u00e9ludes, a work written for a large orchestra, for piano for the recital. He\u2019d like to compose more music in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think so,\u201d he says. \u201cRecently I haven&#8217;t been composing so much. Lately, I have been lacking inspiration. It&#8217;s difficult to come up with something that hasn&#8217;t been done already,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArranging something by another composer is kind of a way of easing into that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s keeping his future goals loose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would probably work on some more Beethoven,\u201d Kevin says, noting that 2027 will be a year of Beethoven, marking the 200th anniversary of the composer\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOtherwise, I guess I&#8217;ll just pick things up as I go along.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_124298\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124298\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-124298\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin_Chen_1.jpg\" alt=\"Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo Anne-Laure Lechat)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin_Chen_1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin_Chen_1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin_Chen_1-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Kevin_Chen_1-768x575.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-124298\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pianist Kevin Chen (Photo Anne-Laure Lechat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Canadian Connections<\/h3>\n<p>These days, while he&#8217;s still studying in Germany, his career takes him far and wide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust recently I was in Brazil for two recitals. It was my first time there,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s always nice to be back in Canada,\u201d he says. Toronto has become a familiar spot. \u201cIt feels like home in a way\u201d he adds. \u201cKoerner Hall is so beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other recent Canadian performances include a March 2026 appearance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. \u201cI played Mozart\u2019s Piano Concerto No. 17,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was also very enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kevin is looking forward to playing a program of some of his favourite music at the upcoming recital, especially the Chopin and Liszt pieces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably just the fact that I&#8217;ve been exposed to their music for so long,\u201d Chen says. \u201cEspecially with Chopin, his music is so universal. I\u2019ve been in contact wth his music one way or another from an early age,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiszt \u2014 it&#8217;s just a lot of fun to play, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He thinks about the audience experience as he performs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think for everyone, it&#8217;s going to be different,\u201d he says. \u201cThat&#8217;s always the challenge with interpreting any piece, is to somehow approach it in a way that is accessible to the audience, and in a way that they can take something out of it,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can only do that through my own experience. I assign my own meaning to it, and hopefully the audience gets some kind of resonance.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find concert details and tickets for Kevin Chen\u2019s May 24 Toronto recital [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcmusic.com\/concert\/kevin-chen-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadian pianist Kevin Chen is coming to Toronto\u2019s Koerner Hall for a recital on May 24, and LV caught up with him for a chat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":124296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42533,76,19,29,47,63],"tags":[39815,1876],"yst_prominent_words":[17249],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-05-14T155959.624.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-wkK","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124294"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124294"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124301,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124294\/revisions\/124301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124294"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=124294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}