Wenbin Jin 2nd in China Shanghai Competition

NEC Pianist Wenbin Jin Takes Top Prize in China Shanghai International Piano Competition

Wenbin Jin ’13, a native of Beijing, China and a student of Hung-Kuan Chen, shared the second prize in the China Shanghai International Piano Competition (CSIPC), Nov. 2—11. The prize, which carried with it a $20,000 cash award and a number of concert engagements, was the highest bestowed as no first prize was given. In addition to the overall second prize, Jin was cited for Best Performance of the Chinese Commissioned Work and as Best Chinese Contestant.

The CSICP, which was established in 2001, is held every three years.  It was co-organized by the Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Its purpose is to highlight the events of the Shanghai International Arts Festival, to broaden cultural understanding among nations, and to facilitate the development of domestic piano education by providing a broadened stage for young talented pianists.

Jin, who received a Certificate in Performance from Yale University before coming to NEC, studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He has performed many recitals around the world including in the US, Holland, Italy, Canada, Japan, Korea, France, Germany and Taiwan. ln 2004, he was soloist in the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Besides his solo activity, Jin is well-known as a collaborative pianist and chamber player, and for the last three years has been the official accompanist of the Great Mountain Music Festival in Korea. He has worked closely with many world-acclaimed musicians, including Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Ani Kavafian, David Shiffrin and Alfred Brendel.

To hear Jin performing, click on this YouTube clip where he performs the Beethoven Spring Sonata for violin and piano with NEC violinist Dami Kim.

For further information, check the NEC Website at: http://necmusic.edu/piano

ABOUT NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY

Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader among music schools, New England Conservatory in Boston, MA offers rigorous training in an intimate, nurturing community to 720 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral music students from around the world.  Its faculty of 225 boasts internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars.  Its alumni go on to fill orchestra chairs, concert hall stages, jazz clubs, recording studios, and arts management positions worldwide.  Nearly half of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is composed of NEC trained musicians and faculty.

The oldest independent school of music in the United States, NEC was founded in 1867 by Eben Tourjee. Its curriculum is remarkable for its wide range of styles and traditions.  On the college level, it features training in classical, jazz, contemporary improvisation, world and early music. Through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Programs and Partnerships Program, it provides training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, adults, and seniors.  Through its outreach projects, it allows young musicians to engage with non-traditional audiences in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes—thereby bringing pleasure to new listeners and enlarging the universe for classical music, jazz, and contemporary improvisation.

NEC presents more than 900 free concerts each year, many of them in Jordan Hall, its world- renowned, century-old, beautifully restored concert hall.  These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz, contemporary improvisation, and opera scenes.  Every year, NEC’s opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre or Paramount Theatre in Boston.

NEC is co-founder and educational partner of From the Top, a weekly radio program that celebrates outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country. With its broadcast home in Jordan Hall, the show is now carried by National Public Radio and is heard on 250 stations throughout the United States.

Contact: Ellen Pfeifer
Senior Communications Specialist
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
617-585-1143
Ellen.pfeifer@necmusic.edu