Helen Shen To Perform As Piano Soloist With Plainfield Symphony

2013 Gold Prizewinner of the Entire Concerto Division (YPCNJ) Helen Shen will appear as a soloist with the Plainfield Symphony Orchestra on February 8, 2014.  Helen began to study piano with Lana Ivanov at the age of 5 and within one year, she began to win competitions.  She appeared for the first time at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall as a winner of the 2006 Russian Music Festival Competition at the age of 6.

Since then, Helen performed Haydn’s Concerto in C Major, Haydn’s Concerto in D Major, as well as J.S. Bach’s Concerto in G minor with the Orchestra Sinfonica del Festival di Chioggia, (Chioggia, Italy) during the summers of 2008, 2010, 2012 & 2013.  Her other appearances at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall (2007-2013) include numerous Winner Recitals for the Young Pianist Competition of New Jersey (YPCNJ) and Russian Music Festival Competition.  Helen also appeared at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall (2009 & 2010) as a winner of the Cecilian Music Club Competition and at Steinway Hall in New York City as a winner of YPCNJ’s Ensemble and Concerto Competitions.  

In July 2013, Helen was one of the featured artists on Shandelee Music Festival’s Sunset Concert Series held at the Events Gallery in Bethel Woods performing Bach’s G minor Piano Concerto accompanied by the Festival String Quintet.  As a winner of New Jersey’s Music Teachers Association (NJMTA) Piano Competition, she was chosen to perform at NJMTA’s 2010 State Conference.  In 2012, Helen performed a pair of full-length piano solo fund raising concerts in both New York and New Jersey featuring masterpieces by Prokofiev, Grieg, and complete Beethoven Piano Sonata, for the benefit of Shandelee Music Festival and YPCNJ.  Most recently, Helen was chosen to perform at the 2014 Annual Showcase of Exceptionally Talented Young Artists presented by Crescent Concerts.  

Helen’s competition accomplishments include:  First Place winner of the 2010 NJMTA Young Musician Competition, First Place winner of the 2009 & 2010 Cecilian Music Club Piano Competition, First Prize Winner of Russian Music Festival Competitions (2006, 2009, 2011), Second Place Winner of the 2012 Junior Division of International Piano Competition of “Festival Musica in Laguna”, Silver Prize & First Place winner at the Solo & Young Artists Divisions of YPCNJ (2008-2011), Silver Prize winner of YPCNJ’s Concerto & Ensemble Divisions (2008-2012) and Third Place winner of the 2011 Steinway Society Scholarship Competition.  She was also a Gold prizewinner of YPCNJ’s 2013 Concerto, Ensemble and Solo Divisions.  Helen also received the High Honor Awards (2006-2013) from the NJMTA’s Annual Piano Audition.

Helen Shen was born in 2000 and currently resides in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.