Biography
"Masterfully presented the Mendelssohn's Fifth Symphony" described by the Leipzig Time. Tong Chen, was recently chosen by Kurt Masur as the recipient of the 2012 Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship. Ms. Chen is quickly establishing herself as one of the most promising and exciting young conductors in her generation.
Ms. Chen has worked with numerous orchestras across the globe, including Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brazil), Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Besançon Symphony Orchestra (France), Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, XiaMen Philharmonic (China) and Shanghai Opera House. A frequent cover conductor with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, she has also engaged as the cover/assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Currently, Tong teaches conducting and leads orchestral program at City University of New York . A conducting fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, Tong studied with and mentored by David Zinman for two summers, along with other guest conductors.
Additionally, as an avid advocate and performer of contemporary music, Tong Chen has worked closely with many leading composers and promising composers of the young generation. Ms.Chen premiered Roger Zare's "La Zebu Forte Overture" with SONAR New Music Ensemble. She was the assistant conductor for the world premier of Opera Poet Li Bai by Wen-Jing Guo with Central City Opera House and had successful performance with the Chicago Composes Orchestra.
Ms. Chen is a prize winner in 2012 of the prestigious International Malko Conducting Competition held every four years in Copenhagen, Denmark and is the only female conductor to be a semi-finalist of the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors in France.
An accompanist pianist, Ms. Chen was the assistant conductor of the Shanghai Opera House from 2004 through 2009, where she conducted more than fifty concerts, performing in most of the major concert halls in China and frequently returning as a guest conductor.
Ms. Chen has worked with numerous orchestras across the globe, including Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brazil), Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Besançon Symphony Orchestra (France), Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, XiaMen Philharmonic (China) and Shanghai Opera House. A frequent cover conductor with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, she has also engaged as the cover/assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Currently, Tong teaches conducting and leads orchestral program at City University of New York . A conducting fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, Tong studied with and mentored by David Zinman for two summers, along with other guest conductors.
Additionally, as an avid advocate and performer of contemporary music, Tong Chen has worked closely with many leading composers and promising composers of the young generation. Ms.Chen premiered Roger Zare's "La Zebu Forte Overture" with SONAR New Music Ensemble. She was the assistant conductor for the world premier of Opera Poet Li Bai by Wen-Jing Guo with Central City Opera House and had successful performance with the Chicago Composes Orchestra.
Ms. Chen is a prize winner in 2012 of the prestigious International Malko Conducting Competition held every four years in Copenhagen, Denmark and is the only female conductor to be a semi-finalist of the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors in France.
An accompanist pianist, Ms. Chen was the assistant conductor of the Shanghai Opera House from 2004 through 2009, where she conducted more than fifty concerts, performing in most of the major concert halls in China and frequently returning as a guest conductor.
