©Ben Chan Photography

陳瑞斌

      奧地利華裔鋼琴家陳瑞斌（Rueibin Chen）出生於臺灣，是已故俄羅斯鋼琴大師貝爾曼（Lazar Berman）唯一的亞裔弟子。

      他那被稱為”天使手指”的彈奏技巧、敏銳的音樂性、自然與熱情的舞臺魅力，深受樂迷們喜愛。大師費雪迪斯考曾為文讚譽他的彈奏技巧；西班牙鋼琴家阿利西亞拉蘿佳則形容，他那大師般的演奏氣魄壯麗偉大，充滿信服力。波士頓環球報、新蘇黎士報、奧地利速遞報（Kurier）、維也納日報、薩爾茲堡新聞報的樂評，都對他有極高的評價。紐約樂評家 Harold C. Schonberg 在聆聽陳瑞斌彈奏拉赫瑪尼諾夫「第二號奏鳴曲」之後，盛讚他完美的詮釋。瑞士作家 Braendle 在其著作「維也納人」中，也詳盡描述陳瑞斌在音樂上的表現。

      十六歲就在義大利的拉赫瑪尼諾夫（Rachmaninoff）國際鋼琴大賽獲獎嶄露頭角，之後陳瑞斌屢屢在重量級國際鋼琴大賽獲勝，取得包括魯賓斯坦 (以色列)、蕭邦 (波蘭)、Bachauer  (美國)、卡拉斯 (希臘)、維也納 (奧地利)、Manresa 貝多芬獎 (西班牙)、以及義大利的拉赫瑪尼諾夫、羅馬、貝里尼、Stresa 等比賽大獎。

      除了與羅馬尼亞文化部簽約，擔任其國立 Moldova Iasi 及 Tirgu Mures 愛樂管弦樂團特約首席獨奏家，陳瑞斌合作過的樂團還包括波蘭國家電臺、布達佩斯、洛杉磯愛樂、太平洋交響樂團、美國猶他州立、莫斯科國立、俄羅斯國家、德國哥庭根、布拉格、捷克布爾諾（Brno）國立愛樂、羅馬尼亞的各大交響樂團、雅典國家、日本新愛樂、新加坡、上海、倫敦室內樂團等。

      在維也納演奏會堂大廳首演之後，陳瑞斌即經常受邀在知名國際藝術節演奏，例如薩爾茲堡藝術節、北德國的 Schleswig-Holstein 音樂節、維也納春季藝術節、香港音樂節、莫斯科拉赫瑪尼諾夫藝術節、捷克亞納捷克（Janáček）藝術節、羅馬尼亞各大藝術節、臺北音樂節、臺北藝術節、及紐西蘭奧克蘭國際鋼琴藝術節等。他深受各地文化機構如國際蕭邦音樂協會的支持，並且擔任香港電視臺及廣播電臺之駐臺藝術家。為了紀念音樂家蕭邦 2010 年的兩百週年冥誕，陳瑞斌在 2008 到 2010 三年的時間中完成一系列以蕭邦音樂為主題的演奏會，在美洲、歐洲及亞太地區的各大城市演出蕭邦的鋼琴獨奏曲及協奏曲。

      土耳其建國七十五週年國慶，他應邀擔任土耳其國家交響樂團的獨奏家，與樂團在該國巡迴演出。他還與臺灣的國樂團和西樂團在中國、美國、澳大利亞等國巡迴演奏。他並曾在一星期內演出兩場拉赫瑪尼諾夫全套鋼琴協奏曲與「帕格尼尼主題狂想曲」，展現全世界所有鋼琴家望塵莫及的實力。澳門回歸二周年慶典的閉幕音樂會，也由他擔任獨奏與樂團演出。

      多年來陳瑞斌活躍於亞洲、歐洲、美洲及非洲的演奏廳，如紐約卡內基音樂廳、紐約林肯表演藝術中心、華府甘迺迪表演藝術中心、洛杉磯迪士尼音樂廳、舊金山戴維斯 (Davies)交響音樂廳、好萊塢柯達大劇院、維也納樂友協會金色大廳、維也納大演奏會堂、莫斯科 Bolshoi 音樂廳、來比錫布商大廈音樂廳、阿姆斯特丹大演奏會堂、蒙地卡羅歌劇院、華沙音樂廳、特拉維夫 F. Mann 大演奏廳、東京 Suntory 大演奏廳、大阪交響音樂廳、香港文化中心、北京國家大劇院、北京音樂廳、臺北中正文化中心、上海東方藝術中心、及雪黎歌劇院；他並曾與世界級指揮家，如科米席歐納（S. Comissiona）、席維斯坦（J. Silverstein）、利蓋提（A. Ligeti）、維特（A. Wit）、及高根（P. Kogan）等合作演出。

      近年來，除了他的獨奏以及管弦樂協奏的經典曲目，陳瑞斌也致力於開發、首演新創作的鋼琴獨奏和協奏曲。廣受好評的鋼琴協奏新作「愛河協奏曲」，描繪對於臺灣著名河流的喜愛；另一首新創作的「寒夜」鋼琴協奏曲，蘊涵豐富的客家元素故事與題材，也由他擔任鋼琴主奏在世界各地首演。他曾在紐約林肯藝術中心、雪黎歌劇院、香港文化中心等國際音樂廳演奏這些新創作。2012 年他與多個美國職業交響樂團合作，演奏曲目從古典到現代，包含選做電影「似曾相識」(“Somewhere In Time”) 配樂的拉赫瑪尼諾夫「帕格尼尼主題狂想曲」。在洛杉磯演出時，該片女主角珍西摩爾親臨演奏會聆賞。為芭芭拉史翠珊作過許多膾炙人口歌曲的美國作曲家 Marvin Hamlisch 辭世，在加州唯一的一場紀念音樂會，也邀請陳瑞斌參與演出。

      繁忙的演奏行程之外，他還抽空在世界各地舉辦大師班，包括美國波士頓新英格蘭音樂院、加州州立大學音樂系、瑞士盧加洛國際音樂學院、澳洲雪黎史坦威音樂中心等，並應邀擔任瑞士國際鋼琴比賽的評審委員。他曾擔任許多音樂節的總監，包括臺灣政府音樂節的藝術總監，並被高雄市聘請為音樂大使。

      陳瑞斌的鋼琴造詣受到國際知名錄音公司的賞識，受邀為環球國際、拿索斯/馬可波羅國際（Naxos/Marco Polo）、歐洲 KKM Austria、金革等唱片集團錄製專輯，曲目含括蕭邦、葛利格、李斯特、華格納／李斯特、德布西、柴可夫斯基、拉赫瑪尼諾夫、史特拉汶斯基、皮亞佐拉、及改編的流行作品。 他也是臺灣金曲獎的「最佳年度專輯」及「最佳表演藝術獎」雙項得主，並受邀與名歌手蔡琴、李克勤合作錄製專輯。          

      這些年來他獲頒無數特別獎項，包括奧地利蓓森朵芙（Böesendorfer）獎、捷克國際蕭邦協會特別獎、國際薩爾茲堡藝術節「最佳音樂貢獻獎」、法國巴黎羅賽爾（Albert Roussel）獎、臺灣最佳表演藝術獎、臺灣十大傑出青年、臺灣十大最有潛力人物獎等。 他的卓越成就不止受到古典音樂界的肯定，也跨越國界受到多國政府高層的重視：他曾受邀在臺北介壽館的最高首長正式音樂會演奏，並獲得連續三位臺灣最高首長的表揚；在特拉維夫獲魯賓斯坦夫人親自頒獎；在波蘭晉見前總統賈魯賽斯基並獲頒獎；在以色列也獲總理拉賓召見親自頒獎。2007 年他成為第一位獲得美國洛杉磯縣長頒獎表揚的華裔藝術家。他是第一位臺灣出生的鋼琴家，成功地在香港及中國演奏中國著名的「黃河鋼琴協奏曲」；2010 年上海世博開幕慶典，邀請他獨奏演出；他的海外演奏影片被選在超過十億觀眾的中國春晚節目播出，中國的電視臺甚且專程到臺灣，拍攝他與三位身障少年鋼琴家的同臺演奏。2014 年他應邀與洛杉磯愛樂交響樂團合作「黃河鋼琴協奏曲」，在美國最大的戶外演奏場地 – 兩萬座位的好萊塢碗 Hollywood Bowl – 演出。

      2013-2014 年他巡迴世界，專門演出拉赫瑪尼諾夫的作品，以紀念這位偉大作曲家的 140 周年誕辰。在這一系列的音樂會中，他是全亞洲與美國加州第一位公開演奏拉赫瑪尼諾夫的三首「夜曲」的鋼琴家。他的「完全拉赫瑪尼諾夫」獨奏會在世界各著名音樂廳巡演，包括美國南加州著名的 Renée & Henry Segerstrom 大演奏廳、比華利山莊全新開幕的 Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center。他是 Wallis演藝中心開幕季第一位專場獨奏的鋼琴家，並為該中心全新的史坦威演奏琴開琴。比華利山莊是拉赫瑪尼諾夫逝世之處，陳瑞斌在該中心的「完全拉赫瑪尼諾夫」獨奏會因票房過早售罄，而被要求加場演出。冠蓋雲集的 2014 年北京國際電影節開幕，他是唯一受邀演出的獨奏家。

Mr. Rueibin Chen's distinguished career as an internationally-acclaimed pianist has earned him a reputation for technical brilliance, immense energy, and intense artistic expression.

He was invited to be the opening soloist in the 2010 World Expo in China, performing the Yellow River Concerto.  In the summer of 2014 he performed the famous “Yellow River Piano Concerto” with Los Angeles Philharmonic at the 20,000-seats Hollywood Bowl, which is the biggest outdoor venue in the U.S. Critics hailed it as the best performance of the iconic piece in its history.  His masterful performances of Rachmaninoff's complete piano concertos (including the Paganini Rhapsody Op. 43) in two consecutive nights at Taiwan’s National Concert Hall garnered significant critical acclaim. The performance was considered to be “the first of its kind and has left a sensational imprint in the minds of the overflowed audience." Such praise befits "one of those geniuses that come along once in twenty years." (Neue Zürcher Zeitung)

A Chinese Austrian born in Taiwan, Chen won a total of eighteen medals, including five gold medals which were won before the age of 20, in various international piano competitions in Tel Aviv (Rubinstein), Warsaw (Chopin), Salt Lake City (Bachauer), Athens (Callas), Vienna, Manresa, and Italy (Rome, Rachmaninoff, Bellini, and Stresa), to name a few.

Chen received his first piano lessons from his father when he was five. At the age of thirteen, he was selected by the government in a national talent search and was sent to Vienna, Austria, where he obtained a concert diploma from the Vienna Conservatory.  Subsequently, he received a soloist's examination award from the Hannover Hochschule für Musik in Germany and then continued his study under the late legendary Russian pianist Lazar Berman as his only disciple of Asian descent.

In addition to his masterful artistry, Chen’s humble background and the hardship he endured as a youngster growing up in Europe all by himself have inspired many young pianists, both in Asia and abroad.  His unique blend of East/West sensibility, his Chinese heritage, his European upbringing and training, his modest personality and his inspiring personal story have earned him a significant following all over the world.

Career

Chen started his career as a child prodigy and concert pianist at age ten when he made his debut with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra.  He was named the Principal Soloist of "Moldova" Iasi and Tirgu Mures Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania. He has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras around the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Utah Symphony, Budapest Symphony, Prague Symphony, Czech State Philharmonic of Brno, Moscow State Symphony, Russian State Symphony, Singapore Symphony, New Philharmonia Japan, Shanghai Symphony, National Symphony Taiwan, Taipei Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and London Chamber Players, among others.

Chen made his European debut to much acclaim in the Grossensaal of the Konzerthaus in Vienna in 1984. He has been invited to perform at many festivals, such as the International Salzburg Music Festival, Vienna Spring Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Hong Kong Festival, Taipei Music Festival, Taipei Arts Festival, the International Rachmaninoff Music Festival in Moscow, the Janáček Music Festival in the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia), the Chopin Festivals in Austria, Czech Republic and Poland, various festivals in Romania, and the Auckland International Piano Festival.

He has participated at many internationally and historically significant events, including his performances as the designated soloist of the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Turkey and the designated soloist for the Macau-China Reunification Celebration Ceremony. He was especially honored to be invited by the Chinese government for a solo performance at the opening ceremony of the World Expo in Shanghai.

Chen tours regularly throughout the world, performing in major concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Opera de Monte Carlo, Warsaw Philharmonie, Bolshoi Hall in Moscow, F. Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Symphony Hall in Osaka, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Beijing Music Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Taipei, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and the Sydney Opera House. He has held various artist-in-residence positions for various entities, including Hong Kong Radio Television, and he has acted as music director of various chamber festivals.

He has been selected as the soloist for many orchestral world tours, including the Taipei Symphony on its Asian tour, Kaohsiung City Traditional Orchestra of Taiwan on its America tour and its Australia tour, the Evergreen Symphony, and the Taipei Symphony on their China tours.  Chen has worked with many renowned conductors, such as Sergiu Comissiona, Antoni Wit, Pavel Kogan, Joseph Silverstein, and András Ligeti.

In recent years, in addition to his solo recitals and orchestral performances of classical repertoire, Chen has devoted much effort to the collaboration and premiering of new solo and piano concerto works. Critically-acclaimed new piano concerto compositions, such as the Love River Concerto, which depicts the fondness for a famous river in Taiwan, and the Winter Trilogy, written to celebrate the Hakka heritage, were both composed through a collaboration with Chen on the piano part and premiered worldwide with performances at Lincoln Center in New York, Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the Hong Kong Cultural Center.

Chen is also an active chamber musician and has performed with international chamber groups, such as the Lark Quartet and Shanghai Quartet.

He has given master classes in musical strongholds, such as the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Masterplayer International Music Academy in Lugano. He has served as a jury member in international piano competitions in Switzerland. He has also served as artistic director of various festivals, including Taiwan government’s music festival. Kaohsiung City of Taiwan has appointed him as their music ambassador.

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth in 2010, Chen launched a project to present a series of concerts featuring Chopin's masterpieces, including solo and piano concerto works, in major cities throughout America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region from 2008 through 2010.

In between his demanding touring schedule, Chen has devoted much of his time to helping the underprivileged and various worthy causes.  In 2012, he was the keynote celebrity performer at the American Red Cross Gala in Los Angeles and performed for the gala guests and Ms. Jane Seymour.  That same year, he organized the first National Piano Competition for Disabled Youngsters in Taiwan.  The winners got a dream of lifetime to perform on stage with Chen in two large concerts with over 2,000 people in the audience.  Also in that year he participated in a special project called “Play Me I’m Yours” with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a benefit concert with the Pasadena Symphony in honor of Mr. Marvin Hamlisch.

Honoring Rachmaninoff’s 140th anniversary, in 2013 and 2014 Chen toured worldwide performing programs dedicated to the great composer. He is the first pianist to perform Rachmaninoff’s three Nocturnes in Asia and California, USA. Chen’s “Total Rachmaninoff” concert program was presented at the famed Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (Orange County, California) and the brand new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Beverly Hills, California), as well as other world-renowned venues. He was invited to be the first artist to give solo recital at the Wallis in their inaugural season and to debut their Steinway concert grand. With the box office sold out four months prior to the recital, the Wallis had Chen add another recital the next evening.

At the 2014 Beijing Int’l Film Festival attended by stars and celebrities from around the world, Chen was the only soloist invited to perform during the ceremonies.

Recordings

Chen is the best-selling classical musician in Greater China in CD recordings. He has produced a dozen CD recordings with various labels, such as Universal, Naxos International, KKM Austria, and Jingo Records, recording works by Chopin, Liszt, Wagner-Liszt, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Piazolla, as well as his own transcriptions. His concerts have been broadcast on many radio and television programs throughout Europe, Asia, America, and Australia.

Prizes and Recognition

In addition to the awards from various international piano competitions, Chen has been the recipient of various distinguished awards and honors, such as the "Bösendorfer" prize in Vienna and being chosen by Taiwan’s Minister of Culture as the "Best Young Artist." Chen won the "Best Prize for Contributions to Music" at the Salzburg International Music Festival and the "Albert Roussel Prize" in Paris. He was invited by the president of Taiwan, Teng-Hui Lee, to his Festival Concert at the Presidential Palace, which was broadcast by national radio and television networks. Subsequently he was also honored by the two succeeding presidents. He was awarded the "Taiwan Millennium Best Artistic Performance Award" in 2000, the "Golden Melody Awards" for "Best Performance" and for "Best Album," and the "Character of Highest Potential" in Taiwan. Chen was also honored by the county supervisor of greater Los Angeles County for promoting diplomacy between the United States and Taiwan through music with his solo recital at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Reviews

Chen's musicianship has been highly praised by many renowned musicians and critics. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was particularly impressed with his astonishing technique. Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha described his playing as "magnificent" and "full of promise." After his performance of Rachmaninoff's second piano sonata in a piano competition, he received tremendous accolades from former New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg, who wrote that Chen's interpretation was the best he had heard by a young artist in a long time. The Boston Globe raved, "He plays with white-hot energy, steel-fingered power and athletic virtuosity,” and that he also “show(s) that he can play with delicacy and imagination." Additionally, Christoph Braendle, a well-known Swiss writer, gives a detailed account of the Chinese-Austrian pianist's musical achievements in his book, Die Wiener.