Prize winner of several major international cello competitions, Yibai Chen has rapidly established himself as one of the most promising cellists of his generation. Praised for his “flawless technique,” “sincere tenderness,” and compelling stage presence, he captivates audiences with a distinctive personal sound and remarkable expressive depth. One critic described his playing as “nothing short of remarkable,” noting that it “came down like a light, taking us to another world” (La Libre Belgique).
Yibai Chen’s international breakthrough came in 2022 with his victory at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition. Since then, he has performed with leading orchestras and conductors across Europe and Asia. In the 2023/24 season, he appeared with the Belgian National Orchestra under Hugh Wolff in Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, premiered Piet Swerts’ Cello Concerto at Bozar in Brussels conducted by Joshua Weilerstein, and performed Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations under Eivind Aadland.
He has collaborated with orchestras including the Brussels Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. His artistic partnerships include conductors such as Stéphane Denève, Daniel Raiskin, Christian Ehwald, Nikolay Alexeev, and Vassily Sinaisky.
Chen maintains strong artistic ties with Asia. Invited by Maestro Long Yu, he performed Philip Glass’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and gave the Chinese premiere of Korngold’s Cello Concerto in Beijing. He has also appeared with the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (Beijing), Shanghai Philharmonic, and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. Following a highly acclaimed recital at Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, he gave a sold-out solo recital at Shanghai Concert Hall in December 2024.
An active chamber musician, Yibai toured Asia in 2023 with pianist Boyang Shi, performing the complete Beethoven works for cello and piano in 17 concerts. The duo also appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall in April 2025. He regularly performs at major festivals including Chopin and His Europe, the George Enescu Festival, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
A laureate of the Lutosławski, George Enescu, and Tchaikovsky competitions, where he was the youngest competitor across all categories, Chen studied with Professor Danjulo Ishizaka at the Music Academy Basel and completed his Konzertexamen at the University of the Arts Berlin. He currently serves as assistant to Prof. Ishizaka in Basel and is Artist-in-Residence at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Photogallery
+4 photo
