Biography

Alex Chien was born in 1998. He started taking piano lessons with Ms. Kai Chi Zhu when he was four years old. At the age of 5, he made a TV appearance when he performed in the “Maestro Darrell's Music Workshop” TV Program.

Alex is the winner of many piano competitions. .

In 2011, he won the first prize award in the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition. He was also the first place award winner of the 6th Marian Filice Piano Competition.

In previous three years, he won the 2010 Young Artist Competition of Diablo Symphony Orchestra, the first Prize in the Young Artists Competitions of California Youth Symphony, the grand prize in the Mondavi Young Artist Competition, the first place award in the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, the first place award in the Sylvia M. Ghiglieri Piano Competition and the inaugural winner of the Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra's Outstanding Young Pianist award. His other awards include the first place award and the "Most Promising Young Talent" special award in the 9th International Russian Piano Competition's Young Musician category, the first place award in 2008 MTAC Piano Concerto Competition (Division I), the Menuhin-Dowling Young Musicians Award, the James Denver Gary Piano Award in Pacific Music Society Annual Competition, and the Nafisa Taghioff Prize in the Fremont Symphony's Young Artist Competition.

Alex has been the prize winner of many awards in the US Open Music Competitions for many years, winning the first place award in the complete Piano Concerto category, several first place awards in the piano concerto categories and the solo showcase category in previous years, and he was selected as the Gold of Golden Medalists in the Gold Medalist Showcase Recitals each year it was held. In addition, Alex has been the first place award winner of the piano competitions sponsored by the Music Teachers' Association of California In 2004 and 2005, the first place awards and the best Chinese Music performance awards in the Chinese Music Teachers' Association of North California Youth Music Competition in 2004 and 2007, the first place award in the “Kids Play the Darndest Things!” piano competition and the first place award in the “Technic is Fun” piano competition in 2006.

In the summer of 2011, Alex gave two solo recitals at the Sage Gateshead and Newcastle University. He also performed at the Saarburg Festival in Germany. 

 In 2010, Alex took part in the South America Tour of the California Youth Symphony Orchestra as a soloist.  He performed Greig's piano concerto with the orchestra in six concerts in six major cities of Argentina and Uruguay.  In the US, he has performed with the California Youth Symphony Orchestra in three concerts.   In addition, Alex also performed with the Diablo Symphony Orchestra, the Fremont Symphony Orchestra and the Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra.   

In 2009, he gave his first solo recital at Newcastle University in England Alex, and later another solo piano recital at California State University Stanislaus.  Alex has played at the Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Fine Arts Festival.  Alex’s other 2009 performances include a performances at the Peninsula Symphony’s Family Concert, at “A Celebration of Young Artists Concert” of the Fremont Symphony Guild, at the Kohl Mansion, Burlingame, California, and at the Twilight Concert at Fairytale Town, Sacramento, California. In 2008, he performed in the Junior Bach Festival and in the Steinway Society Young Artists Concert. He also performed at the Piano Fantasia Concert honoring Robert and Margaret Mondavi at Pacific Union College. His other performance events in 2008 include the Listening Hours at San Jose State University, Pacific Music Society Christmas Gala, Beshoff Mercedes-Benz Concert and a benefit concert at the San Francisco Tower.  

Alex attended the 2009 Chetham International Summer Piano School in Manchester, England and Saarburg International Music School in 2011, where he worked with many internationally renowned masters such as Leslie Howard, Vladimir Tropp, and Gabriel Chodos.  Alex has also performed in master classes by Lang Lang, Jon Nakamatsu, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Ruth Slenczynska, and Pascal Nemirovski.

Alex is currently a student at Saint Andrew School in Saratoga. He lives in San Jose, California with his parents and brother Robert.  In addition to music, he loves writing, math and computers.