General Management
Susanna Stefani Caetani
susanna@onlystage.co.uk

Prize winner of multiple top international cello competitions, Yibai Chen is emerging as one of the most promising cellists of his generation. His playing has been described as “nothing short of remarkable”, “a flawless technique yet displaying sincere tenderness and sensitivity” and “a personal sound and true stage presence”.

Since winning the second prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition 2022, Yibai Chen embarked on his international career with numerous successful debuts and tours. Chen is also a major prize winner at the Lutoslawski Cello Competition 2018, the George Enescu Cello Competition 2018 and the Tchaikovsky Cello Competition 2019 as the youngest candidate for all categories.

Yibai Chen has received critical acclaim for his collaborations with numerous world-renowned orchestras and conductors. During the 2023/24 season, he performed twice with the Belgian National Orchestra, under the baton of Hugh Wolff, playing Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1. In 2024, he made the world premiere of Belgian composer Piet Swerts' Cello Concerto at the prestigious Bozar Concert Hall, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein. He has also performed with Brussels Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic, George Enescu Philharmonic, Southwest German Philharmonic Constance, Haydn Philharmonic, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, and Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio. He has worked with esteemed conductors such as Eivind Aadland, Stéphane Denève, Christian Ehwald, Nikolay Alexeev, Vahan Mardirossian, Daniel Raiskin, Maciej Tworek, and Vassily Sinaisky.

In China, Yibai Chen has maintained close collaborations with top-tier conductors and leading orchestras. He has been invited by Maestro Long Yu to perform Philip Glass' Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and has played Dvořák's Cello Concerto with the China Philharmonic Orchestra. Notably, he gave the Chinese premiere of Korngold's Cello Concerto in Beijing on 29th Dec. 2022. His other engagements include performances with the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony, Hangzhou Philharmonic, Zhejiang Symphony, Ningbo Symphony, Guiyang Symphony, Qingdao Symphony, Chengdu Symphony, and Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as Muhai Tang, Guoyong Zhang, Jia Lü, Yang Yang, Yi Zhang, Ji Yu, Yifan Sun, and Yukuang Jin.

Yibai Chen has appeared at numerous international music festivals, including "Chopin and His Europe" Festival, George Enescu Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, the MISA Festival in Shanghai, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Cello Festival, the Liangzhu Classical Music Festival in Hangzhou, and the Qintai Music Festival in Wuhan. Additionally, he has toured extensively, giving concerto and recital performances in Belgium, Singapore, South Korea, and China. As a duo with pianist Boyang Shi, he has performed in various prestigious venues, including the Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Xi'an Concert Hall, Jiangsu Grand Theatre, and Qintai Concert Hall in Wuhan. In the summer of 2023, they completed a highly acclaimed tour performing the complete works for piano and cello by Beethoven in 17 concerts.

Born in 2001 in Shanghai, Yibai Chen started his musical life since he was five years old and has been studied with Prof. Meijuan Liu in Music Middle School Affiliated To Shanghai Conservatory Of Music until the end of 2016. In 2017, he moved to Germany/Switzerland to study with Prof. Danjulo Ishizaka until now. Chen is a graduate of the Music Academy Basel. He is currently studying for a Konzertexamen (Doctoral) degree with Prof. Ishizaka at the University of the Arts Berlin. In 2020, Yibai Chen has been appointed “Artist in Residence at Music Middle School Affiliated To Shanghai Conservatory Of Music”. The famous Henle Verlag Publishers invited him to be the “Henle Ambassador China 2024” for promoting their urtext music.

Yibai Chen is playing on a cello by Joseph Guadagnini ca .1780-1800 on loan of German Foundation “Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben Hamburg”.