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Ray Chen photo By Jrs2150

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Ray Chen

Ray Chen was born on March 6, 1989, in Taipei, Taiwan. He is a Taiwanese- Australian Violinist. He has been active in his musical career from 1997 to date.

Chen started learning violin at a young age, 4 years and he completed the 10 levels of Suzuki Music Education in Brisbane, Australia within 5 years. He is one of the most talented and accomplished young violinists.

At a young age, Ray Chen accomplished a lot and won several awards. He was awarded the Sydney May Memorial Scholarship of the Australian Music Examinations Board, he also was a winner of the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition and the 2008 International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition among others.

1. First Prize Winner of Queen Elisabeth Competition

The Musician won the First Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition of 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. This prize came with a lot of advantages.

 It brought him numerous concert engagements, a three-year loan of the ‘Huggins’ Stradivarius from the Nippon Music Foundation and a recording.

He was launched immediately on a concert tour, performing with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden and Aldert Vermeulen, the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra under Emmanuel Krivine as well as in recitals throughout Belgium for he was a grand prize winner.

2. Started Learning Violin at Age of Four

Ray Chen photo By Jrs2150

Ray was an intelligent Kid and focused. When he was four years old, he began learning Violin. In only five years, he had completed all 10 levels of Suzuki Music Education in Brisbane, Australia.

When he was eight years, Chen was invited to play solo with Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. He also got an invite to perform at the opening celebration concert of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

3. Chosen as Young Space Musician of the Year in Australia’s 4MBSs

In the year 1999, Ray was chosen as Australia’s 4MBSs as the young space music of the year. Having been recognized and chosen, he was awarded.

For being the youngest and most talented musician, Chen was awarded the Sydney May Memorial Scholarship by the Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB). He was only 11 when AMEB awarded him a Licentiate Diploma of Music with distinction

4. Awards Ray has Won

Chen won several awards at a young age for his talent in Violin. When he was only 13 years old, he won first prize in the Australian National Youth Concerto Competition (NYCC). He also won first prize in the 2005 Australia National Kendall Violin Competition.

Back in 1999, Ray was awarded the Sydney May Memorial Scholarship of the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). Chen won the senior division first prize of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in April 2008.

Following Ray success at the Menuhin Competition, he won the first prize in the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium, and in 2011, he won the Newcomer Award in the 2011 Echo Klassik Awards among others.

5. Chen is One of the First Classical Musicians of his Stature to Embrace Social Media

Ray Chen photo By Jrs2150

Ray is an online person and is frequently noted for his online presence. He has been one of the first classical musicians of his stature to embrace social media.

He began in 2004, by making funny videos on his Facebook page. He later began funny content for his eponymous YouTube channel about violin playing, classical music, and being Ray Chen. Chen continues to create content for Instagram and other social media platforms.

6. Ray Launched an App

Ray is a creative and go-getter man. It is interesting to know that he launched an app in the year 2011. Chen together with developer Rose Xi launched an app known as ‘pocket Conservatory.

Pocket is a community-building and practice motivation app for musicians. When it was launched it was received well and attracted 3,500 users immediately with 4000 waiting on the waitlist from different countries, about 177 countries. Pocket has been rebranded in 2022, as Tonic and continues to add users in preparation for a wide launch.

7. Chen has Released Several Albums

Ray Chen photo By Jrs2150

Since Ray is a musician, he has produced some music albums. Stravinsky: Diversions -Music for Violin & Piano is one of the albums Chen and Timothy Young released in 2010 on Melba Recordings.

The Song of Names was released by Chen together with Howard Shore in the year 2019 by Decca Label, in 2008 he released The Golden Age on Decca Label, Solace album was produced on August 7, 2020, on Decca Label not forgetting Virtuoso released on 2011 by Sony Classical Label among others.

8. Ray was Born in Year of the Serpent

One of the little-known facts about Chen is this. It is said he was born in the year of the Serpent. Normally, People see snakes as cunning and sly animals which love staying out in the darkness.

However, this animal is a symbol of wisdom and wit. People born in this Year of Serpent their strengths are soft-spoken, humorous, determined, passionate, sympathetic, and smart. They can as well be jealous, suspicious, fickle, sly and nonchalant.

9. Ray was Part of Greatest Works of Art Success

Greatest Works of Art is a song by Jay Chou’s. In 2022, Ray was one of the collaborators involved in the production of Jay’s song and its video.

The song went to number one in China by racking up over 500 million views on Weibo and other Chinese streaming services within 48 hours of release. This shows the song had good management helping it go viral, Chen being one of them.

10. Signed by Decca Classics

In the year 2017, Ray Chen was signed by Decca Classics. It is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. It established its labels in the U.S in late 1934 with help of Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca’s first president and Milton Rackmil.

The Decca Classics has been the label behind publishing Chen’s works. It has published several of his Albums such as The Golden Age, The Song of Names, and Solace.