All Ray Chen articles
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ArticleViolinist Ray Chen warming up
The following video from our archive is linked to the Technique article in the April issue of The Strad on warming up the left hand when playing the cello Violinist Ray Chen warms up with an excerpt from the second movement of Bruch's Scottish Fantasy at the ...
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Video
Ray Chen compares a $69 factory-made violin with a $10m Stradivari
’Even on the open strings you can tell the difference. The Strad has this resonance, clarity and warmth’ Violinist Ray Chen compares a $69 factory-made violin with the 1735 ’Samazeuilh’ Stradivari violin worth around $10m. Watch: Ray Chen: What do you do when your E-string breaks in a ...
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Feature
How are string soloists coping with the coronavirus lock down?
As social distancing causes unprecedented disruption to concert schedules around the world, several soloists share their coping strategies and plans for the future.
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Video
Ray Chen plays Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Ray Chen gives a solo rendition of this cosy little number
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Video
Ray Chen plays Waltzing Matilda live at Hollywood Bowl
Ray Chen performs his own variations on Watzing Matilda , which as he says is ‘actually quite a tragic song’. ‘For some reason the tune remains jaunty and happy, which is why I decided I would make an arrangement that better describes the story through music,’ writes Chen: ...
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News
Ray Chen gives Hollywood Bowl debut to 18-year-old Laura Kukkonen
‘Play With Ray’ competition culminates in Bach Double Concerto performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
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Video
Horses enjoy a private Ray Chen recital
Ray Chen plays Vivaldi as ‘A serenade to the horses for all the bow hairs I’ve broken’
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News
Finalists announced for ‘Play with Ray’ competition
Three violinists chosen from video submissions will travel to Los Angeles for a chance to perform with Ray Chen at the Hollywood Bowl
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Video
Ray Chen: What do you do when your E-string breaks in a concert?
In a break from practice, Ray Chen sets himself a challenge to play as if his E string has just broken while admitting that it is not something you can defend against or even practise for – and therefore not worth worrying about either
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Focus
5 views on Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto
Five violinists share their insights into this pillar of the repertoire in these snippets of interviews featured in The Strad
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Video
Ray Chen exploring what makes a violin's sound
Ray Chen is looking for violins to be played by the finalists of his Play with Ray competition . Here he pays a visit to the New York offices of Tarisio to try out some instruments. He writes: ‘In this video I go and explore the question “What is ...
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News
Play with Ray competition for Hollywood Bowl concert
Winner will Perform Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Ray Chen
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Video
Ray Chen in concert: Tambourin Chinois
From Dutch broadcaster Avrotros comes this video of Ray Chen performing Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois with Amsterdam Sinfonietta, lead by Candida Thompson. Filmed on 17 February 2019 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
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Video
Backstage with Ray Chen at the San Francisco Symphony
From Ray Chen’s YouTube channel comes this video of the run-up to his performance of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole in San Francisco last October. ‘Ever wonder what the soloist is doing before he/she walks out onto the stage?,’ he writes. ‘Practicing? Eating? Or perhaps doing some sort of secret warm ...
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Video
Ray Chen: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
The violinist performs a seasonal favourite. Produced by Daniel Jang
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Video
Ray Chen's practice challenge: Paganini Sauret Cadenza
The violinist lays bare his practice process, beginning from scratch on one of the steepest technical challenges in the repertoire – the Émile Sauret cadenza for Paganini’s First Violin Concerto.
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Video
Ray Chen plays Paganini in the first round of Menuhin Competition 2008
For Ray Chen, the 2008 Menuhin Competition which turbo boosted his career started here, with Paganini’s Caprice no.5. Chen, then 19, won the event before going on to also win the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition.
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Video
Video: Ray Chen entertains airline passengers with Bach
The violinist plays the Gavotte from Partita no.3 aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Lisbon which had to take an unscheduled stop at Porto
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Focus
Ray Chen on Strads, modern instruments and finding his sound
In the second extract from his cover feature interview in the May 2018 Strad, the violinist talks playing Strads and modern instruments, and personalising his sound
