BrendaChen

Brenda Chen, Pianist

 

Brenda Chen studied piano with Margaret Parsons Poole and Clifford Poole at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and received the Associate Diploma (ARCT) in 1994.  As a scholarship recipient, she studied with Louis-Philippe Pelletier and received her Licentiate of Music in piano performance from McGill University with high distinction in 1997.  Thereafter, she entered University of Western Ontario to study with the renowned Ronald Turini (student of Vladimir Horowitz) and received Artist Diploma in 1998.

 

Brenda performed many recitals throughout her career. In 1992, at the age of sixteen, she was invited to perform with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra in Toronto and subsequently in 1993 as well as 1997, playing the pieces Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy, Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 and Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto respectively. She has since appeared in numerous recitals at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, University of Toronto, Markham Theatre, Richmond Hill Performing Arts Center and Toronto Performing Arts Center from 1999 to 2008.

 

Brenda began her professional piano accompanist career with the music faculties at both universities. She has accompanied a range of individuals and groups, ranging from instrumentalists, vocalists, community groups to the Canadian Opera Company. Individual musicians include vocalists Michael Nasato in 2019, Denise Williams in 2016, Bruno Cormier in 2015, Rachel Cleland in 2014 and Charlene Santoni in 2013. Groups include the Coro San Marco Italian Choir from 2015-2019, Toronto Croatian Choir in 2015 and Toronto Taiwanese Choir from 2000-2020.

 

Brenda took part in NTD Television’s International Competition Series over multiple years. In 2008, she was part of the judging panel in Taiwan and New York for the International Piano Competition. In 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018, she was invited as the guest accompanist for the International Vocal Competition in New York. As part of the 2012 competition, Brenda performed with Gold Award winners, Hanying Tso and Mario Zhang, at Carnegie Hall.

 

In 2015 she played at the Cantus Angeli International Choir Festival in Italy, held at various venues including Santa Maria Della Luce in Rome, churches and theatres in cities along the Amalfi Coast. Since then, she became well known in the Italian Canadian community and has been invited to perform with groups like Coro San Marco at festivals and concerts in Canada and Italy.