Primary Instrument: Piano
A native of Taiwan, Jo-Yu Chen, New York-based jazz pianist/composer/Steinway Artist/Sony Music Artist began her formal musical training on piano at the age of five. At the age of nine she began studying the oboe, but she never lost sight of her first love: the piano. After moving to New York City to study oboe and piano at the Juilliard School of Music, Chen discovered a diverse musical scene thriving in the heart of the city. In May 2005, she decided to depart from classical music and jumped into the unknown world of jazz, her secret passion.
The adventure began in Spring 2007 when she enrolled in the New School for Jazz Studies. There she remained for two intense years. During this time, Chen studied with some of today’s great jazz piano masters, such as Jason Moran, Sam Yahel and Kevin Hays.
In 2009, Jo-Yu Chen self-released her first jazz piano trio album produced by the renowned Sam Yahel. For this recording, she collaborated with Christopher Tordini and Tommy Crane, two sought-after rising star musicians. Chen also successfully planned and managed her own tours in Taiwan in 2007 and 2009. The performances were set at the most prestigious concert halls in Taiwan, such as the National Concert Hall (Taipei). The music was very well-received and generated great buzz in the press.
2010 was certainly a very fruitful year for Jo-Yu. In July, She was very honored to join the distinguished international roster of Steinway Artists. An article written about Chen, entitled “Pianist Chen’s Jazz Focus Sparks Musical Transformation,” was featured in Downbeat Magazine in March of 2011.
Jo-Yu was ecstatic about joining the Sony Music family in January 2011. She is the first ever Taiwanese jazz artist to be signed to a major record label. Her first trio album “Obsession” (2009) was officially re-released by Sony Music on May 31th 2011, and her second album “Incomplete Soul” was released by Sony Music on September 20th, 2011.
Incomplete Soul (Sony Music, September 2011)
Personnel: Christopher Tordini: bass; Tommy Crane: drums; Sam Yahel: Album Producer.
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