Askonas Holt is delighted to welcome Junyan Chen to the roster for worldwide general management following her success at this year’s Leeds International Piano Competition.

In addition to the Marion Thorpe Silver Medal, Junyan took home the inaugural Alexandra Dariescu Award, presented for outstanding performance of a work by a female composer, as well as the Yaltah Menuhin Award for exceptional performance of chamber music. The Finals of the competition saw her perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.4 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Domingo Hindoyan, with the Arts Desk declaring, "the vivacity was outstanding". Junyan previously performed the work with Edward Gardner and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra in a concert live streamed on Classic FM.

Coming up, Junyan gives solo recitals for the Leeds International Piano Series, in Liverpool, and for the Harrogate International Sunday Series. Next spring sees Junyan collaborate with the Manchester Collective on a project that includes the world premiere of Hidden Mechanisms by Askonas Holt artist Héloïse Werner with performances in Leeds and at the Southbank Centre London. Further ahead, Junyan gives a solo recital at Wigmore Hall.

An enthusiastic performer of contemporary music, Junyan performed Hans Abrahamsen’s Piano Concerto with the Manson Ensemble, and has collaborated with Mark Anthony-Turnage and Dominic Muldowney.

Junyan's debut solo album featured a programme of works by living composers, including Fazil Say, Unsuk Chin, Sofia Gubaidulina and Eleanor Alberga. Released by Linn Records in 2022, It's Time explores cultural identity through different musical genres and art forms, including Turkish folk ballad, jazz, Russian poetry, and African dance.

Following her studies at the Shanghai Conservatoire, Junyan holds a fellowship with the Royal Academy of Music, having recently graduated with a first-class Honours Masters degree.

She will be managed at Askonas Holt by Alison Nethsingha and Holly Cartwright.

WATCH: Junyan performs Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.4 in the Finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition (excerpt).