“Yibai Chen impressed me enormously from the first moment I heard him. He is a tremendous talent!” — Daniel Hope

Prize winner of multiple top cello competitions, Yibai Chen is emerging as one of the most promising cellists of his generation. His playing has been described as “nothing short of remarkable”, “a flawless technique yet displaying sincere tenderness and sensitivity” and “a personal sound and true stage presence”.

Since winning the second prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Cello Competition 2022, Yibai Chen embarked on his international career with numerous successful debuts and tours. Chen is also a major prize winner at the Lutoslawski Cello Competition 2018, the George Enescu Cello Competition 2018 and the Tchaikovsky Cello Competition 2019 as the youngest candidate for all categories.

In 2023/24 season, Yibai Chen appears with various conductors and orchestras both in Europe and China, such as two projects with Belgian National Orchestra, with Hugh Wolff playing Shostakovich Cello concerto No.1 and with Joshua Weilerstein on the world premiere of Piet Swerts’s Cello Concerto, Martinu Cello Concerto No.1 with Samuel Aguirre/Basel Symphony in June 2024. In China, Yibai Chen will play with Long Yu/Ningbo Symphony, Vasily Sinaisky/Guangzhou Symphony, Jia Lv/Hangzhou Philharmonic and China NCPA Orchestra, Christian Elwald/Kunming Ni’er Symphony, Yifan Sun/ Nanchang Symphony, Yu Ji/Inner Mongolia Symphony, Guoyong Zhang/Guiyang Symphony and Qingdao Symphony, Haydn Philharmonic, with concertos respectively including Elgar, Shostakovich, Haydn, Lalo and Dvorak. Also in this season, Chen and pianist Boyang Shi tour intensively at leading venues in Far East on Beethoven’s Complete Works for Piano and Cello, among the venues are Shanghai Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall, Shenzhen Concert Hall, etc.

Born in 2001 into a musical family in Shanghai, Chen started his musical life since he was five years old and has been studied with Professor Meijuan Liu in Music Middle School Affiliated To Shanghai Conservatory Of Music until 2016. In 2017 he moved to Berlin to study with Professor Danjulo Ishizaka at the University of the Arts Berlin. Currently, Chen continues his studies with Prof. Ishizaka at the Music Academy Basel.

In 2020, Chen has been appointed “Artist in Residence at Music Middle School Affiliated To Shanghai Conservatory Of Music”, and has been appointed by the Henle Verlag Publishers “Henle Ambassador China 2024” for promoting their urtext music.

Chen is playing on a cello by Joseph Guadagnini ca .1780-1800 on loan of German Foundation “Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben Hamburg”.