Chen presented a full-length solo recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, De Falla and Rachmaninoff, as well as his own original compositions.
“It was a challenging program and an extremely fulfilling experience,” he said. “I wanted to put the listeners on my ‘emotional rollercoaster,’ a journey that is special and memorable. It was a memorable trip, and a phrase that came to my mind when I took my final bow was ‘my dream come true.’
“However, my passion for music did not stop right there. I will continue to advocate my passion here at ETSU, to our community, and beyond, to the nation.” The honor of performing at Carnegie Hall came on the heels of what Chen calls a “harvest year,” in which he not only joined the ETSU Department of Music faculty as an assistant professor of piano and theory, but he also captured three first prizes: the Washington (D.C.) International Competition; Waring International Piano Competition. In addition, he spent three weeks in Europe playing concerts and conducting research as a 2017 Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation grant recipient.
More:
Carnegie Hall: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2017/10/18/YI-YANG-CHEN-0800PM
ETSU Press Release: https://www.etsu.edu/accent/2017/11_november/chen_carnegie_.aspx
Johnson City Press: https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Music/2017/10/11/ETSU-pianist-Dr-Yi-Yang-Chen-to-give-Carnegie-Hall-preview-performance
Review: http://nyconcertreview.com/reviews/ogninana-michael-masser-family-foundation-and-waring-international-piano-competition-present-yi-yang-chen-in-review/