Sa Chen

Who is Sa Chen?

Sa Chen is a Chinese pianist. She won first prize in the 1994 China International Piano Competition and fourth place in the 2000 International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition and a prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition. Furthermore, she was a third place winner in the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Both of her parents were members of an art troupe in the People's Liberation Army, and later transferred to the Performing Arts Group of Chongqing City. Her father played the French horn, and her mother was a ballet dancer.

She began to study the violin at the age of five, but soon switched to piano. Her first piano teacher was Dan Zhaoyi, who also taught Yundi Li, and she pursued further studies with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She also received coaching from Fou Ts'ong for a period after the 1996 Leeds Piano Competition.

Chen has performed with conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Leonard Slatkin and Long Yu among others. Musicians she has performed with include Gidon Kremer and Nicolai Znaider.

She currently resides in Hanover, Germany.