Biography
Born as Hsiao-Hsien Shen, Pianist Rita Shen has given recitals and concerts as a soloist and member of chamber music in France, Germany, Italy, United States and Taiwan. Her passion to Chopin’s music plays a significant role in her performance highlights. She was featured in Chopin Marathon concert hosted by Polish center of University of Southern California at Newman Hall in 2010 celebrating Chopin’s 200th anniversary. Her live recording of Chopin Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35 was broadcasted on KUSC FM 91.5. She was invited to perform for the Sundays Live concerts at Los Angeles County Museum of Art where the performance was live broadcasted, and in the Chopin Lecture & Recital by Polish Festival in L.A.. Most recently, she was invited to play Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 at the Valley Performing Arts Center in California. Aside from Chopin, Rita has great passion in playing and performing contemporary music. She has played numerous compositions by many current composers including Zhou Tian and piano solo pieces composed by composer/pianist Milen Kirov exclusively 2015-2017. Her appearance is found in collaboration with dancers. In 2017, she was invited to play duet with cellist Judy Kang at the Chinese Cultural Center in California for the American Chinese Dance Association and for Taiwanese American Pageant Association, San Gabriel, CA. From 2017, frequently she plays piano parts for music video, television and film production in Los Angeles.
Her upcoming invitations to perform Chopin include piano solo, piano 4-hands and two pianos as well as chamber music in Poland by the Chopin Institute in Warsaw for the current season 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, piano four hands with Krzysztof Jablonski, laureate of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, with whom she performs in a Piano Duet. They had their debut concert tour in Poland, performing recitals at the famous Łańcut Festival and at the Chopin Monument in Łazienki Park in Warsaw, which was the opening concert of the 60th Anniversary of Chopin Summer Concerts there. The duet will soon perform at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, California and the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, Poland.
Rita’s future engagements also include music projects with composer Andrew Kaiser and music for films with director Giorgio Serafini.
She received her diploma in music education from Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris, France, a graduate diploma in piano performance from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and Master’s in piano performance from California State University, Northridge. She is a member of Phi Beta Delta, an international scholar honor society.
Rita is also a devoted teacher. Her students received ABRSM certificates, won competitions and gained performance opportunities under her guidance, including American Protégé and performing at Carnegie Hall.
She also plays the viola, occasionally joining chamber ensembles, chamber and symphony orchestras. She also plays Chinese erhu and Chinese mandolin.
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CLASSICALLY TRAINED
I am classically trained multi-instrumentalist - I play piano, viola, erhu and chinese mandolin.
My interests go well beyond strictly classical repertoire. I have been enjoying forming all kinds of ensembles performing music during variety of events including recording music for movies.
It is my greatest pleasure to announce formation of the piano duo with Krzysztof Jablonski, which had its semi-official debut in Santa Monica, California, on September 8th, 2018 at the Public Library’s Concert Hall.