NATCHITOCHES – Pianist Yizhen Chen will present a concert at Northwestern State University on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. The concert is part of the Louisiana Piano Series International. Tickets are $15. Northwestern, BPCC@NSU and Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts students are admitted free with a current student I.D. A livestream will be available at www.nsu.la/CAPA-LIVE. NSU Associate Professor of Piano Dr. Francis Yang is director of the of the Louisiana Piano Series International.
The program will include works by Schumann, Scriabin, Zhang Zhao and Schubert.
Chen is a promising young pianist from China who has garnered numerous awards in competitions across the United States and East Asia. He was most recently awarded the Gold Medal at the 2024 Wideman International Piano Competition in Shreveport.
Highlights of his 2025 season include performances with the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Wilmington, and Shreveport, where his artistry has captivated audiences. In addition to his performing career, Chen is a passionate educator. He was recently invited to serve as junior faculty at the 2025 Vivace International Music Festival, where he taught in the preparatory piano program.
Born in Ningbo, China, Chen began his musical journey at the age of 3. After graduating from the Middle School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he moved to New York City to pursue further studies. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Mannes School of Music and he is currently completing his Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School as a recipient of the Van Cliburn Scholarship.