East meets West in Mizutani’s ‘Lord of the Strings’ concert series
Mizutani and Impact present Opus 11 of 12 of his “The Lord of the Strings” concert series. “East to West” features violin virtuoso Wai Mizutani with special guests Xiao Long Chen and Jessica Chen. Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the concert begins at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26, at Flathead High School auditorium. Admission is $15 for adults; $10 for seniors and school-age children; and free for children under 10, veterans, and active duty members. Tickets may be purchased at the door, by phone at 406-212-9515, online at Impactwsce.com or Eventbrite.com
About Xiao Long Chen
Xiao Long Chen began playing the piano at age 5, entered the high school affiliated with the China Conservatory of Music when he was 15, and was then recommended to the China Conservatory of Music, where he majored in piano and composition.
After graduating from university, Xiao Long taught piano and musical production in many famous universities in China. He has composed and arranged symphonies, and performed for many films, TV series, musicals, shows and popular music records in China.
In 2016, Xiao Long immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska, from Beijing with his family. In 2018, he and his family relocated to Polson.
The most famous film he has scored is “Let the Bullets Fly,” which won the Top-Grossing Movie Award in the Asian Film Awards and has been released in the U.S. He also composed the score for the award-winning “Farewell, Vancouver” TV series, and did musical production for the large-scale live program “Impression, Sanjie Liu,” the first live and commercially successful program in China.
About Jessica Chen
Before moving to the United States, Jessica Chen was a cellist and cello teacher in Taiwan. She has been an associate professor at the National Taipei University of Education, the National Teaching University and Shih-Chien University, while also teaching in the Taipei European School and in various high school music classes.
Chen graduated with a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and was given a full scholarship to continue studying for another year in Orchestral Performance.
She has placed first in many cello competitions, locally and worldwide. With her husband, Fang-Liu “Leo” Chen, she formed Ars Trio Taipei; she acts as its cellist and has managed the group for over 26 years, which has performed in the U.S. Costa Rica, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Banff Music Festival and FAME Music Festival. The group has debuted over 70 piano trio works, and in 2003 published a CD album titled “Impression.” In 2000, the group started Taiwan Classical Music Society.
Apart from her performances, Chen has also been a part of numerous concerts, lectured and judged in national competitions.