Ray Chen in recital: Great Performers Series

Violinist Ray Chen first gained international attention after winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition and has since built one of the largest digital audiences of any classical soloist. His recitals often combine core repertoire with showpieces and newer works. He is known for directly addressing audiences and reshaping the traditional recital format. This program focuses on contrast, character, and violin-driven repertoire. A recital format designed to feel immediate and close-up.

Violinist Ray Chen — called “the epitome of cool” by the Sydney Morning Herald — returns to Southam Hall to calm the mind and stir the soul with a program spanning 200 years. Even if you’ve never seen him perform, Chen may look familiar: He’s appeared in the hit series Mozart in the Jungle, modeled for Giorgio Armani, and was profiled in Vogue

Whether he’s performing on the world’s biggest stages or sharing the magic of classical music with two million fans online, violinist Ray Chen is on a mission to connect people to inspiration, beauty, and moments of musical bliss. “The joy that’s inherent in music is meant to be shared,” he wrote, “and I want others to find this joy and motivation.”

Don’t miss your chance to experience one of Chen’s enchanting performances when the Taiwanese Australian violinist returns to Southam Hall for a time-traveling recital exploring nearly 200 years of music. Works by Bach and Mozart bring the dance floor to the concert hall with rhythms of electrifying energy, while Grieg’s final composition for violin and piano spins captivating melodies of romantic intensity.

And a pair of showstoppers by the 19th-century Spanish virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate showcases the full range of the violin’s voice. Playera, based on an Andalucian folk song, bristles with the heat of flamenco, while the sensuous Carmen Fantasy journeys through moments of operatic lyricism and primal passion — the perfect showcase for Chen’s dazzling virtuosity.