Watch on YouTube ↗K. Szymanowski: Mythes, Op. 30
Duo Jiayi–April
The duo
Formed in 2019 at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, violinist Jiayi Chen and pianist April Siyue Zhang have continued their partnership from Shanghai to Vienna. Sustained through shared study, performance and repertoire development, the duo has grown into a long-term artistic collaboration. Their work brings together close listening, a shared sense of structure and an interest in repertoire from the Classical and Romantic traditions to twentieth-century and Central and Eastern European works.
Awards
First PrizeInternational Stasys Vainiūnas Chamber Ensembles Competition · Vilnius, LithuaniaSpecial Prize for the Best Performance of S. Vainiūnas Compositions in the First Round
Second PrizeIlmari Hannikainen Piano Chamber Music Competition · Jyväskylä, Finland
Exilarte AwardFirst Prizeisa — International Summer Academy of the mdw — University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna · Vienna, Austria
Preis Wiener MusikSecond Prizeisa — International Summer Academy of the mdw — University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna · Vienna, Austria
Programme IIntimate VoicesFour Perspectives on Musical Closeness
Across four distinct musical voices, closeness between violin and piano is continually redefined through connection, expansion, fragmentation and return.
- Franz Schubert — Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, D 57420′
- Karol Szymanowski — Myths, Op. 3020′
- Intermission
- Francis Poulenc — Violin Sonata, FP 11919′
- Johannes Brahms — Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 7826′
Programme IIPushing the DialogueFrom Balance to Tension
Beginning with the clarity of Classical dialogue, the programme follows musical interaction as it is stretched, destabilised and transformed into increasingly complex forms.
- Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30/122′
- Arnold Schönberg — Phantasy, Op. 479′
- Intermission
- George Enescu — Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 2526′
- Sergei Prokofiev — Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 8028′
Programme IIIEchoes Across LandscapesReimagining Tradition
Northern and Eastern European voices meet in a programme exploring how lyricism, folklore and inherited forms are reshaped across different cultural and sonic landscapes.
- Edvard Grieg — Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major, Op. 1322′
- Stasys Vainiūnas — Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 3819′
- Intermission
- Karol Szymanowski — Myths, Op. 3020′
- George Enescu — Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 2526′
Other collaborations
Music, media & storytelling
Since 2025, April has been developing a Chinese-language media practice around classical music, repertoire and the realities of a musician’s life. Beginning in the second half of 2026, she is extending this work towards English-language content and international platforms, while remaining open to thoughtful collaborations in music communication, cultural storytelling and video.
Collaborate
Have a project in mind?
Performance projects, repertoire-based ideas, and media collaborations are welcome.