About

Jason Chen is a keyboardist in search of meaningful convergence of various perspectives in artistic expression through the materialization of his sundry musical utterance and presence. Hailed from the rural landscape of eastern Taiwan, Jason’s focused work on piano performance has propelled him westward and brought him to extensive exposure in ensemble and composer-collaborative experiences in America and Europe. Since his relocation to Chicago in 2015, Jason has been introduced to the musician’s circle primarily as a versatile collaborative pianist while finding his way into a wide variety of creatively driven adventures, including a publication in "It's All Trumped Up: A Collection of Short Stories from Around the World," experimental accordion/viola duo venture, and various artist residency programs. Jason is deeply involved in community music-making, particularly in the Edgebrook and Niles vicinity, and prides himself upon his co-founding of and fiercely intimate collaboration with the Haiga Ensemble – a fluid-form collection of chamber musicians dedicated to engaging a variety of audiences with relevant programs of music. Jason has appeared as a soloist with the American Youth Symphony, Thousand Oaks Philharmonic, and Palisades Symphony Orchestra. Jason received degrees in piano performance from the Boston Conservatory and Indiana University and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies at DePaul University.

Music

Most canon repertoire for strings and piano that ranges from Bach sonatas for violin and harpsichord to Takemitsu A Bird Came Down the Walk (1994)

Basic jazz standards in creative arrangements

Accordion music including polkas, Italian folk songs, experimental duo scores with viola, and candid presentation of various four-part compositions from the dusty corners of the Renaissance era to John Cage's Apartment House 1776

Videos