Yu-Chien (Benny) Tseng (Chinese: 曾宇謙; pinyin: Zēng Yǔqiān; Wade–Giles: Tsêng Yü-ch'ien; born August 24, 1994) is a Taiwanese violinist. In 2012 he was fifth laureate in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, where he also won both the Musiq'3 and the Klara-Canvas prizes awarded by the public.[1] In the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition held in 2015, Tseng won the 2nd prize in the violin contest, in which no first prize was awarded.[2] Tseng has recorded for Fuga Libera and the Chimei Museum.
Yu-Chien Tseng | |
|---|---|
曾宇謙 | |
 Yu-Chien Tseng photographed in 2020. | |
| Born | August 24, 1994 Taipei County, Taiwan |
| Other names | Benny |
| Education | Curtis Institute of Music |
| Occupation | Classical violinist |
| Years active | 2005 - present |
| Website | yuchientseng |
Life and career edit
Yu-Chien Tseng was born in Taipei County (now New Taipei City). In pre-school, Tseng's parents worried that he was tone deaf.[3][4] His father enrolled him in percussion classes after hearing tests showed Tseng's hearing to be normal. He started to study the violin at the age of 5. By the age of 6, he had already performed with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. In his native Taiwan, he studied with Po-Shan Lin, Ying-Liang Shen, I-Ching Li and C. Nanette Chen. Since 2008 he has studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, under professors Ida Kavafian and Aaron Rosand. In 2009 he won the 10th Pablo Sarasate International Competition in Pamplona (Spain). In 2011 he won the Isang Yun Competition in Tongyeong (South Korea) and also was awarded a special prize at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition (as best of those in Round II who did not make the finals). In 2012 he took fifth place in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium, and the symphony orchestras of Singapore, Taipei, and Navarra among others. He has given solo concerts in cities in the US, Europe and Asia.
In 2017, Tseng was featured in the opening ceremony of the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei, Taiwan with a solo violin performance.[5]
Awards edit
- 2006: Third Prize in Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists Junior division[6]
- 2009: First Prize and Prize to Best Interpreter of Works by Sarasate in 10th Pablo Sarasate International Competition in Pamplona (Spain)[7]
- 2010: Associazione Amici di Paganini Prize and Prize in memory of Dr. Enrico Costa in the 53rd Paganini Competition[8][9]
- 2011: Jury Discretionary Award in The XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition[10]
- 2011: First Prize and Isang Yun Special Prize in Isang Yun Competition in Tongyeong (South Korea)[11]
- 2012: Fifth Prize in Queen Elisabeth Competition[12]
- 2015: First Prize in Singapore International Violin Competition[13][14]
- 2015: Second Prize in the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition (no first prize awarded)[15][16]
Recordings edit
His debut disc featuring music by French composers was released by Fuga Libera.
- Franck, Ravel, Debussy - French Violin Sonatas with Inga Dzektser, piano (Fuga Libera: FUG597)[17]
- Sarasate Violin Pieces (Chimei Museum: S000887011011088)[18]
- Reverie: Chopin, Ernst, Mozart, Tartini, Tchaikovsky, Wieniawski with Rohan De Silva, piano (Universal Music Taiwan / Deutsche Grammophon: UCCG-1774)[19]
References edit
- ^ M.-P. and J.-M. Lambert. Concours Musical International Reine Elisabeth de Belgique, 2012
- ^ "Yu-Chien Tseng of Curtis Institute top winner at Tchaikovsky Competition," Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2, 2015
- ^ "Tseng takes yet another Guarneri violin to Europe," Taipei Times, July 9, 2012
- ^ "Singapore International Violin Competition: Winner Tseng Yu-Chien was once thought to be tone-deaf," Straits Times, January 22, 2015
- ^ Strong, Matthew (19 August 2017). "Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade opens with dazzling spectacle and political strife". Taiwan News. Taiwan News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Prize winners since 1983 | Menuhin Competition
- ^ 2009 contest. Winners - navarra.es
- ^ 2008 – today | Premio Paganini Competition
- ^ Tseng takes yet another Guarneri violin to Europe
- ^ 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition Results
- ^ Taiwanese violinist tops Isang Yun Competition
- ^ "Yu-Chien Tseng - Queen Elisabeth Competition". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
- ^ Singapore International Violin Competition
- ^ "Yu-Chien Tseng wins the Singapore International Violin Competition". Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
- ^ Results of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition in the Violin category | The XV International Tchaikovsky Competition
- ^ Chung, Jake (11 July 2015). "'China Taipei' appellation for violinist plucks protest". Taipei Times. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^ French Violin Sonatas | Outhere Music
- ^ Sarasate Violin Pieces | CHIMEI MUSEUM
- ^ "Reverie on Deutsche Grammophon". amazon.com.
- VC ‘Young Artist’ Yu-Chien Benny Tseng Awarded Top Prize at Tchaikovsky Violin Comp | The Violin Channel
- Yu-Chien Tseng: Sibelius and Tchaikovsky Concertos | Violin: Final Round | The XV International Tchaikovsky Competition
- Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: violinist Yu-Chien Tseng performs Valse-Scherzo | The Strad Archived 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
- VC YOUNG ARTIST | Yu-Chien Benny Tseng, 20 – Sarasate, Isang Yun & Singapore Competition 1st Prizes | The Violin Channel
- Tseng, Yu-Chien | CLASSICTIC.COM
- Teenage violinist performs with National Symphony Orchestra | Culture.tw
- Curtis Musicians Perform at the Mann Center June 29-July 1 | The Curtis Institute of Music