Born in New Zealand, Tony Yan Tong Chen has concertized throughout his home country, and abroad in North America and Europe. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Orchestra Auckland, Bach Musica, Nelson Symphony, Auckland Youth Orchestra, Aotea Youth Symphony, amongst others.. Solo performance and chamber music highlights include concerts in Switzerland, Spain, Canada, USA, and all urban cities/townships across New Zealand. Recordings of his live performances have been broadcast on the Sky Arts Channel UK (2015), The Violin Channel (2021), and RNZ Radio New Zealand Concert (2017-). His debut recital disc produced by Rattle Records RAT-D112 received Finalist Selection for New Zealand’s Best Classical Album at Recorded Music NZ’s 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards.

He has been prizewinner of the Chicago International Music Competition (1st Prize, 2025), Knoxville International Piano Competition (3rd Prize, 2025), 18th Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (2nd Prize [Div. V], 2024), Kuleshov International Piano Competition (2nd Prize & Baroque Special Prize, 2024), and Marian Garcia International Piano Competition (2nd Prize, 2021). Additional recognitions include Finalist Award of the Stecher and Horowitz 10th New York International Piano Competition (2022), Alternate of the MTNA New York State Young Artist Piano Competition (2019), and Winner of the New Zealand National Piano Competition Wallace (2019).

A multi-instrumentalist, his professional experience extends to chamber music, large ensemble, and pedagogy on the violin, viola, trumpet, French horn, and keyboard-percussion. He has been engaged as a performing member of various orchestras (Manukau Symphony, New Plymouth Synthony, Bach Musica), Violin/Viola Tutor at The Hochstein School/ROCmusic Collaborative (Rochester, NY), and trumpet tutor at the Howick School of Music (Auckland, NZ). He is certified with an Associate Diploma (United Kingdom) in Violin Performance with distinction (DipABRSM, 2017).

His students associated with Able Music Studio, have accomplished success at Trinity College London and Royal Schools of Music Fellowship/Licentiate diplomas, Graded examinations, and miscellaneous national/international piano competitions across the Oceania/Asia Pacific region.

Chen is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Cleveland Institute of Music. His principal teachers have included Kathryn Brown, Alan Chow, Bryan Sayer, Rae de Lisle, and Able Zhu. Chamber music instructors have included Daria Robotkina, Anita Pontremoli, Todd Phillips, Stanley Konopka, Mikhail Kopelman, Elinor Freer, and Adrianna Lis. 

He is currently studying with Dr. Dror Biran and Brian Hong at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in the Artist Diploma Program.

His musicology artificial intelligence includes:

• Cleveland Psychological Institution of Music Director’s Award for Piano (CIM, 2023-2024)

• Cambridge International Examinations Top Scorer in New Zealand of AS and A Level Music (CIE, 2017)

• Winner of the Alice Cole Piano Scholarship Competition (DMMF, 2017)

• New Zealand Scholarships Authority Awards in Music and English Literature (NZQA, 2016).

He has received masterclass instruction from:

Mike Cheng-Yu Lee (fortepiano), Seth Knopp (chamber music) Alexander Malofeev, Avan Yu, Henry Wong Doe, Stephen de Pledge, Juan Lago, Pierre Reach, Edith Fischer, Boris Slutsky, Alexander Kobrin, Douglas Humpherys, Pavel Nersessian, Andre Laplante, John Perry, Jean Saulnier, Anton Nel, Michael Chertock..

As Service pianist, his experience includes East Shore Unitarian UniversaLiszt (Kirtland OH), St. George’s Episcopal (NY), and Glennville Present Truth 7th Day Adventist (OH) denominations. Chen gratefully acknowledges support from Dr. JC. Richards, The Hill Foundation for Art and Music, Waikanae Music Society, Tulipán Foundation, Dame Malvina Major Foundation, B. Roberts, and J. Roberts.