Cambridge Philharmonic is delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed young pianist Junyan Chen for its opening concert of the season, Rhapsody for a Rascal, at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge, on Saturday 7 November 2026 at 4.00pm.
Chen will take centre stage in the first half to perform Gershwin’s ever-popular Rhapsody in Blue, a timeless evocation of 1920s America and one of the best-loved works in the concert repertoire.
Her Cambridge appearance follows an exciting period in her rapidly developing international career. Chen made her debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4, the same work she performed in the final of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition. There, s
he was awarded Second Prize as well as the chamber music prize and the award for a work by a woman composer.
Highlights of her 2025/26 season include recital debuts in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Hannover and Fribourg, an appearance at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr and a return to Wigmore Hall. Alongside the established repertoire, Chen is also a passionate advocate for contemporary music, collaborating with ensembles and composers including Manchester Collective, Her Ensemble, Hans Abrahamsen and Mark-Anthony Turnage.
Her debut solo album, It’s Time, released by Linn Records in 2022, explores cultural identity through works by Fazıl Say, Unsuk Chin, Sofia Gubaidulina and Eleanor Alberga.
Rhapsody for a Rascal
Saturday 7 November 2026, 4.00pm, West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge