Ray Chen & Julio Elizalde

“From the first notes there was no doubt of being in the presence of something special.”—The Strad

Winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition (2009) and the Yehudi Menuhin Competition (2008), Ray Chen is among the most compelling young violinists today. His premiere album Virtuoso, released worldwide on Sony Classical in January 2011, received glowing reviews from a range of major publications including the Times and Chicago Tribune. Following the success of this recording, Chen was profiled by the Strad and Gramophone magazines as “the one to watch.” His 2011 recital tour featuring virtuoso repertoire brought him to Tokyo, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Zurich, and Dresden. Chen continues to win the admiration of fans and fellow musicians worldwide. In December 2012 he became the youngest soloist ever to perform with Christoph Eschenbach and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic in the televised Nobel Prize Concert for the Nobel laureates and the Swedish royal family. His debut performances at Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Wigmore Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and Lucerne Festival received critical acclaim.

Chen is accompanied on the piano by Julio Elizalde and plays the 1702 “Lord Newlands” Stradivarius.

Tickets $29–$45

Program
Mozart, Sonata in A major, K. 305
Sarasate, Op. 21, No. 2 “Habanera”
Sarasate, Op. 23, No. 5 “Playera”
Sarasate, Op. 20 “Zigeunerweisen”
Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 9 “Kreutzer”