Much of Chen Yihan’s music seeks for a convergence of different points in time and space, connecting the past to the future and bringing different corners of the world together in an abstract, poetic, and emotional way that transcends culture and epoch. His music is often a play of lines, space, and intensity in a calligraphic way, reflecting his cultural roots in the Chinese arts.
As a composer, Chen Yihan’s music has been performed by China National Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the National Opera House of China, the Juilliard Orchestra, among others. He has earned honors such as a Copland House Residency Award, two ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, the Jacobs School of Music Dean’s Prize, to name a few. As a pianist, Chen Yihan has received recognitions such as being the Grand Prize winner of the Cincinnati World Piano Competition, etc.
Chen Yihan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in composition at Princeton University and holds a master’s degree in composition from the Juilliard School and bachelor’s degrees in composition and piano from the Jacobs School of Music, having studied with Samuel Adler, Claude Baker, Arnaldo Cohen, Don Freund, Christopher Rouse, and Sven-David Sandström, among others. He also currently teaches composition and piano in the department to undergraduate students.
