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 Orchestras of Auckland, Bach Musica Baroque Sinfonietta, Nelson Symphony, Auckland Youth Orchestra, Aotea Youth Symphonia, 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 earned prizes at Chicago International Music Competition (1st Prize, 2025), 18th Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (2nd Prize [Div. V], 2024), Knoxville International Piano Competition (3rd Prize, 2025), Kuleshov International Piano Competition (2nd Prize & Brisch Baroque Interpretation 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 etc.), 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 (ARSM/DipABRSM, 2017) and scored various Distinguished Brass Instrumental evaluations in graded performance (SAPACS, ABRSM).

His students associated with Able Music Studio, have accomplished many successes thus far, including at the 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 Assistant Prof. Brian Hong at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in the Artist Diploma Program.

His musicological artificial intelligence includes:

• American Liszt Society of Jay Hershburger and Eva Polgar (East Tennessee State University, 2025)

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

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

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

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

• Artificial Musicological Prefect of Macleans College Auckland (New Zealand, 2017)

• Accelerated Alpha Academic Class (AAA) of Kathryn Mansfield House (New Zealand, 2013-2017)

• CincyRat of University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (2025-)

• Cincinnati Artist Diploma Candidate of Keyboard Instruments/Chamber Music (2025-)

He has received masterclass instruction from:

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

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.