Sabrina Chen, Canada

Born in Montreal, Sabrina Chen began piano studies with Tina Kakabadze and made her debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of 7 during an international student exchange program. She has won top prizes at the Crescendo International Competition, Canadian Music Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, McGill Concerto Competition, and others. She was also invited to perform on a television show presented by Radio-Canada.

In 2017, she continued her studies with Michael Berkovsky at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has participated in music festivals such as the Philadelphia International Music Festival, Orford Academy, Amalfi, Vivace, and Banff’s Art of the Piano, where she studied with Ronan O’Hora, Jerome Lowenthal, Boris Slutsky, Hee-Sung Joo, Hung-Kuan Chen, Joanna MacGregor, and Marc-André Hamelin. She has also played for artists including Alice Sara Ott, Hugh Sung, David Louie, and Ray Chen. Her chamber music coaches have included Philippe Müller and William Wolfram.

In 2023, she spent a semester at the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Dmitri Alexeev.

She recently completed her undergraduate studies with Olga Kern at Manhattan School of Music.

This summer, she attended PianoFest in the Hamptons, studying with Paul Schenly, Pavel Nersessian, and Richard Goode.

First Round

  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude and Fugue in f minor, No. 12, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, BWV 881
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in b minor, Op. 32, No. 10
  • Joseph Haydn: Sonata No. 60 in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
    1. Allegro
    2. Adagio
    3. Allegro molto
  • Frédéric Chopin: Étude in g-sharp minor, Op. 25, No. 6, “Double Thirds”
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableau in a minor, Op. 39, No. 6, “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”

Quarterfinal Round

  • Frédéric Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61
  • Olga Kern: Status Animae (State of Soul)—Two Pieces for Solo Piano
    1. Meditation
    2. Rhythm Obsession
  • Franz Liszt: Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394
  • Samuel Barber: Sonata in e-flat minor, Op. 26
    1. Allegro energico
    2. Allegro vivace e leggero
    3. Adagio mesto
    4. Fuga: Allegro con spirito

Semifinal Round

  • Johannes Brahms: Piano Quintet in f minor, Op. 34
    1. Allegro non troppo
    2. Andante, un poco adagio
    3. Scherzo: Allegro
    4. Finale: Poco sostenuto—Allegro non troppo—Presto, non troppo

Final Round

  • Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in f minor, Op. 21
    1. Maestoso
    2. Larghetto
    3. Allegro vivace