Endorsed as an “Exceptional Talent” by the British Arts Council, Violinist Jiafeng Chen won the 1st Prize at the International Competition for Young Violinists K. Lipinski and H. Wieniawski in Lublin with further prizes from the European Union Music Competition and the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music, 2nd Prizes at The Sibelius International Violin Competition in Helsinki, the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition in Cardiff and the Windsor International String Competition in Windsor. Chen is also a Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition. Further more, he was awarded the Paganini Prize at the Indianapolis International Violin Competition.
The centuries-old Worshipful Company of Musicians in UK awarded him a special Medal for his outstanding achievements and contributions during his studies at the Royal College of Music graduation ceremony. After his studies, he was appointed a violin professor at the RCM, and he also teaches at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Chetham’s School of Music.
Jiafeng Chen’s career as a soloist has taken him to all six continents. He has been heard as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera National de Nancy, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Philharmonia Orchestra (U.K.) amongst others and at concert halls including the Finlandia Hall, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with violinists David Chan and Cho-Liang Lin; cellist Gary Hoffman; and conductors Paavo Berglund, Paul Goodwin, Lorin Maazel, Paolo Olmi, Petri Sakari, John Storgårds and Gilbert Varga. He has performed solo concerts at Beijing International Chamber Music Fesitval broadcasted by CCTV Music Channel, Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, Lake District Summer Music, BBC Proms in UK broadcasted by BBC Radio 3, Verbier Festival in Switzerland broadcasted by France Musique, Valdres Sommersymfoni in Norway, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest in USA, opening gala of the Menuhin Violin Competition, and performed as guest concertmaster with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He was praised as “not only technically brilliant but also subtle, deeply felt and astonishingly mature” (Nottingham Evening Post).
Jiafeng Chen’s artistry has also supported humanitarian causes. After he heard the earthquake in Sichuan in 2008, he organized many recitals in the UK and Italy where raised over £4800 to support the students from Sichuan as scholarships. He also performed at fundraising events organised by the British Red Cross. English National Opera, Dance Umbrella International Festival and the Royal College of Music. In 2019, he went to South Africa with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as part of the “ARCO” music education project to help the students there.
Jiafeng Chen studied with Peter Shixiang Zhang, Jiyang Zhao and Lei Fang, Jan Repko, Ronald Copes and Cho-Liang Lin at the Primary and Middle Schools Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Chetham’s School of Music, the Royal College of Music London (first class BMus honours) and The Juilliard School (first class MMus).
Jiafeng Chen plays a Nicolo Gagliano violin (Naples, 1751) kindly on loan from a generous group of owners.