YAN SHEN, Pianist

Fanfare Magazine lauded Yan Shen’s performances on her solo album, FANTASY|SONATA|ELEGY, for “bravura,” “flair,” “subtlety,” “clarity,” “intellectual curiosity,” “sensitivity,” “technical prowess,” and many more glowing terms pointing to her nuanced and mature artistry.

Formerly a tenured piano faculty member of the Guang Zhou Conservatory of Music, China (2005-2010), Yan Shen, holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano and Artist Diploma in Solo Piano Performance from the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music (studio of renowned pedagogue Timothy Hester). Prior to her studies in the United States Ms. Shen received a M.M. in Piano Performance at Wu Han Conservatory of Music in China, and a B.M. from the Guang Zhou Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Shen is a prize winner in numerous international competitions, including American Protégé International Concerto Competition; Guang Zhou International Piano Competition; Beijing First International Piano Competition; Beijing National Young Artist Piano Competition, among others.

As a prize winner, Dr. Shen has performed solo and chamber recitals internationally, including at: Carnegie Hall, NYC; Xing Hai Concert Hall, Wu Han Concert Hall, Qing Dao Concert Hall, Changsha Concert Hall, Hunan Concert Hall, China; Hong Kong City Hall, among others. She has also given performances at numerous music festivals, including: the Texas Music Festival, USA; the Bellas Artes Music festival, Colombia; the “Polyphony” Music Festival, France; the Basel Music Festival, Switzerland; the Olympic Music Festival, Korea. As a complement to her performance appearances, Dr. Shen has been invited by international music schools and institutions to give master classes and recitals, including the Schumann Piano School and Grotrian Piano Company (Germany), and Bellas Artes University in Medellin, Colombia; Evansville University, Indiana USA; Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.

Dr. Shen has collaborated with leading concert artists and ensembles, including: David Campbell; Eric Varner; Sydney Carlson, Marie Pallot, Lyda-Chen Argerich, Vagram Saradjian, Shuhan Ye, string musicians from Houston Symphony and Houston Opera/Ballet, etc.  She has also performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including: the Guang Zhou Symphony Orchestra and Choir; the Hong Kong Metropolitan Pop Orchestra; the Xing Hai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Hunan State Symphony Orchestra, China, among others.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Shen has given concert tours in China, Europe and the USA, including with the MAYA DUO, which Dr. Shen founded in 2017 with French violinist Marie Pallot. During the 2019-2022 seasons, Dr. Shen gave solo recitals at the Texas Music Festival, Hong Kong City Hall, Kawai Piano Gallery in Houston, Bravura Concert Series and Memorial concert Series in Houston, Hunan Concert Hall, Changsha Concert Hall, and Ningxiang Concert Hall in China. Dr. Shen also world premiered12 piano solo pieces with Texas New Music Ensemble. She also had one of the two leading main roles of the short film “The 13^th Note,” which has won numerous international film competitions, including the Best Original Music of London Independent Festival and 4^th Dimension Independent Film Festival in Chili.

Dr. Shen is a resident artist of the HK Metropolitan Orchestra, on the piano faculty of Hong Kong International Concerto/Ensemble Competition and Festival and works at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston.