The 26th edition of the Singapore International Piano Festival returns this May and brings together four of the world’s best virtuoso pianists, each performing solo at the Victoria Concert Hall over the four day festival. In the lead-up to the performances, we spoke to Chinese pianist Sa Chen, whose playing has been described by the legendary Paul Badura Skoda as a pianist “like an angel from heaven”.

The youngest contestant at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1996, she has since gone on to become the only pianist to win prizes in that and two more of the top piano competitions in the world (including the Chopin Piano Competition and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition). Read the interview in full below to find out a little more about her career and her views as a professional pianist:

Bakchormeeboy: What motivated you to become a musician, and what motivates you to continue playing each day?

 Sa Chen: The curiosity and unknown chemical effect that music has on me started very early on for me, almost as if it was meant to be. But becoming a musician requires one to embark on a much longer path, taking almost everything to enrich the growing process: faith, life experience, personality and of course studying and practice. It’s ultimately the reward from playing music itself that has kept me on this path still.  

Bakchormeeboy: You’ve performed in countless countries and venues around the world. Which has been your most memorable performance thus far, and why? 

Sa Chen: Oh there’ve been many unforgettable memories. We all love stories, but for me, whenever I am on stage, I am trying to get into the mood and almost ”surreal” world of the different pieces. At times, I do feel that they’re transcendent and transport me to a different space, almost like traveling in time (hehe). In short, all the live experiences that made me forget my own existence are often the most memorable ones.  

Bakchormeeboy: As the only pianist in history to be a prize winner in three of the top international piano competitions, do you ever feel pressure to leave some kind of legacy behind on the music world, or that there is some kind of expectation that you have to emerge above the others?

Sa Chen: No, I’m not really stressed. Everything will pass, even the greatest legacy. I am not ambitious to the point where I want to become a part of human history till the end of time and the universe. I would, if one asks, love to be able to send a message with my playing that connects our souls, and perhaps make people feel they are not alone but heard, to be – even for this short time, realise that they are surrounded by beauty. And that’s the kind of thing that makes me smile, because it’s meaning enough for me.  

Bakchormeeboy: How do you cope with your intensive schedule, and if you had any words of advice for younger musicians, what would it be?

Sa Chen: I cope with it quite naturally. I listen to my instinct, the needs of my body, and follow my heart and temper, and that’s it! As for my advice to younger musicians: enjoy everything you can, always keep one eye open, and be careful not to end up becoming too mechanical in your playing. 

Sa Chen plays on 30th May 2019 at Victoria Concert Hall . Tickets available from SISTIC

The 26th Piano Festival runs from 30th May to 2nd June 2019 at the Victoria Concert Hall. Tickets available here