藝術總監兼指揮  陳正哲

陳正哲博士，澳大利亞籍華裔指揮家、現任江蘇省特聘教授及蘇州科技學院音樂學院院長，先后獲得昆士蘭音樂學院(Queensland Conservatorium of Music)鋼琴學士學位，高級學士文憑，昆士蘭大學(University of Queensland)合唱指揮碩士學位與悉尼音樂學院(Sydney Conservatorium of Music)管弦樂隊指揮碩士學位，后進入美國約翰霍普金斯大學皮博迪音樂學院(Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University)攻讀樂團指揮博士學位。在校期間，師從著名指揮家麥耶爾，并任學院歌劇助理指揮職務。隨即以一年半時間研修并完成指揮博士所需的課程及音樂會，創造該學院記錄，并進入全美交響樂團聯盟(American Symphony Orchestra League)大師班。其間，先后擔任昆士蘭音樂學院鋼琴講師以及悉尼音樂學院歌劇演出助理指揮。2002 年起先后進入美國巴爾蒂摩歌劇院(Baltimore Opera)與芬蘭國家歌劇院(Finnish National Opera)擔任助理指揮。2007 年受邀擔任上海音樂學院教授及江蘇交響樂團音樂總監暨首席指揮。

國際獲獎方面，陳正哲博士曾獲三項指揮大獎及其他獎項，所囊括獎項為：2005年，贏得著名卡拉揚青年指揮大獎(Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors)，并因此受邀于薩爾斯堡音樂節(Salzburg Festival )與世界著名樂團--維也納愛樂(Vienna Philharmonic)合作，于國際舞臺展露知名度。同年，獲 Vakhtang Jordania 國際指揮大賽第三名。此外，又獲由全美交響樂團聯盟舉辦的美國國家指揮及樂團總監選拔(National Conductor Preview)最高獎項。三項樂隊指揮大獎之余，他還曾以精湛的技巧與演出贏得澳大利亞巴赫鋼琴比賽(Bach Piano Competition in Queensland Conservatorium)冠軍。1998年曾指揮芬蘭 Candomino職業合唱團在澳大利亞布里斯本演出。同年，參加澳大利亞國家合唱指揮大賽，成為決賽 4位獲獎者之一。

漸受國際矚目的陳正哲博士，長期與歐美樂團與歌劇院保持良好合作關系。指揮方面，在澳洲先后與昆士蘭交響樂團(Queensland Symphony Orchestra)、塔斯美尼亞交響樂團(Tasmania Symphony Orchestra)、墨爾本交響樂團(Melbourne Symphony Orchestra)以及悉尼音樂院管弦樂團(Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra)合作演出，均受當地樂評極高評價。2004年，受St. Magnus 音樂節邀請，與英國BBC 蘇格蘭交響樂團合作演出。目前，他的指揮足跡遍及世界各地，曾執棒的交響樂團包括：意大利維若妮亞愛樂管弦樂團(Verona Philharmonic Orchestra)、美國芝加哥斯維克樂團(Chicago Civic Orchestra) 、佛羅里達杰克遜交響樂團 (Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra)、巴爾蒂摩皮博迪交響樂團(Peabody Symphony Orchestra) 、波蘭西里西亞愛樂管弦樂團(Silesian Philharmonic)、西班牙卡達克交響樂團(Cadaques Orchestra)、加拿大溫里培交響樂團(Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra)、英國 BBC蘇格蘭交響樂團(BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) 、希臘雅典國家交響樂團(Athens State Orchestra) ,以及亞洲當地的九州交響樂團、江蘇交響樂團、上海愛樂樂團、澳門交響樂團、臺灣交響樂團、長榮交響樂團、高雄市交響樂團、臺北市立交響樂團等。

歌劇藝術表演方面，先后擔任美國巴爾蒂摩歌劇院(Baltimore Opera)與芬蘭國家歌劇院(Finnish National Opera)助理指揮。任職期間，長期累積及磨練多部大型歌劇，曾指揮與制作曲目包括：《蝴蝶夫人》、《弄臣》、《沙樂美》、《圖蘭朵》、《魔笛》、《女人皆如此》、《費加羅的婚禮》、《拉克美》、《卡門》、《麥克白夫人》 等。2004 年，指揮由美國作曲家弗蘭特所作歌劇〈Super Double Lite〉在紐約百老匯Symphonyspace 音樂廳成功舉行世界首演。 2006年，受杰捷耶夫(Valery Gergiev)之邀指揮俄國圣彼得堡著名馬林斯基歌劇院樂團(Mariinsky Theatre)與劇團制作歌劇《茶花女》深受當地樂壇好評與矚目。

2007年至2010年，陳正哲先生客居中國期間，受聘擔任江蘇交響樂團音樂總監與上海音樂院指揮系教授及碩士生導師。曾分別指揮上海音樂學院樂團在上海音樂廳演出，率領上海愛樂樂團赴浙江省舉辦多場新年音樂會。此外，還受邀指揮日本九州交響樂團在南京舉辦中日友好音樂會。在 07/08樂季， 受“上海之春”國際藝術節之邀，率領江蘇交響樂團、江蘇歌劇院合唱團及廣播合唱團赴上海音樂廳演出，并于 2008年，率該團赴北京國家大劇院，參演“首屆中國交響樂之春”開幕系列音樂會，演出獲得北京與江蘇各地媒體競相報導。同年夏季，率領江蘇交響樂團赴日本及韓國演出，并再度受邀客席日本九州交響樂團于福岡音樂廳演出。

2009年至2011年間，陳正哲先生出任蘇州科技文化藝術中心藝術總監。除世界指揮邀約不斷之外，他還全面負責華東地區最重要的表演指標性場地--蘇州科技文化藝術中心的總體策劃及發展規劃。期間，他制作一部結合舞蹈及雜技的大型節目“蘇SHOW”，至今已演出超過一千場。2010年5月，他帶領蘇州科文芭蕾舞劇院在臺灣首演《新版羅密歐與朱麗葉》舞劇，并親自指揮高雄市交響樂團擔任現場樂團伴奏，取得巨大成功,該劇記者會由高雄市長、臺北演出文化建設委員會副主委親自出席,臺灣眾多媒體皆有報道此項盛事。

2011年2 月，陳正哲先生受邀擔任臺北藝術大學交響樂團指揮,并于同年 5月邀請著名芬蘭大提琴家MarttiRousi(曾為柴可夫斯基大賽銀獎得主,并擔任此屆大賽評委)合作演出德沃夏克《b小調大提琴協奏曲》，音樂會票全部售罄,現場座無虛席。同年暑假,他指揮兩岸三地青少年百人管弦樂團在臺灣及大陸巡演,地點遍及臺灣日月潭,臺中,天津,北京,廣州等地。

2013年9月起，陳正哲先生出任蘇州科技學院音樂學院院長，為學院帶來全面性發展。短短數月，學院與世界著名的芬蘭西貝柳斯音樂學院及意大利普契尼音樂學院建立姐妹校關系，并開始密切的師生交流，同時，他還帶領學校民樂團及合唱團與德國及臺灣多所音樂學院進行多次合作演出。今年起，學院啟動全球教師招聘，吸引超過160位應聘者，并最終邀請6位國內外音樂家及作曲家加盟音樂學院，其中包含著名作曲家中央音樂學院劉湲教授。2015年1月，他將率領學院民樂團步入第四屆世界音樂大會，使該樂團成為我國首個將民族音樂帶入這個平臺的學院團體。2015年5月，他將率領學院合唱團及管弦樂教師與臺灣長榮交響樂團及鋼琴家殷承宗攜手走進臺灣兩廳院音樂廳，使其成為內地首個步入臺灣最高音樂殿堂演出的學院團體。現在無論在指揮、鋼琴、教職與藝術管理工作之上，都讓指揮聲望極高的陳正哲博士逐漸成為全方位音樂家，成為華人在國際樂壇上之驕傲。

Christopher Chen, Artistic Director and Conductor

Prof. Dr. Christopher Chen, an Australian conductor, is Dean of Academy of Music, Suzhou University of Science and Technology. Beginning his studies in Australia, Chen was awarded a Bachelor of Music degree and then a Graduate Diploma in Piano at the Queensland Conservatorium, a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Queensland and a Master of Music (Performance) at Sydney Conservatorium. He later entered the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, where he read for his doctoral degree in Orchestral Conducting under the guidance of renowned maestro Gustav Meier.While at Peabody, he also worked as Assistant Conductor for the opera department. He made history in 2004 at the Conservatory by completing all the requisite coursework and recitals for his Doctor of Musical Arts in a record one and a half years. In 1999 and 2004 he took part in masterclasses held by the American Symphony Orchestra League. During that time, he also lectured at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (teaching piano) and was Assistant Conductor for opera performances of the Sydney Conservatorium. Beginning in 2002, he became assistant conductor first with the Baltimore Opera and later with the Finnish National Opera, working directly with Chief Conductor Muhai Tang. In 2007 he was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra, where he began his international reputation.

Christopher Chen's exquisite technique and performances have won him numerous international prizes, both as a pianist and as a conductor. As a pianist, he was awarded first prize at the Bach Piano Competition at the Queensland Conservatorium. In 1998 he conducted the Finnish choir Candomino in a performance in Brisbane, Australia, and was one of four finalists in that year's Australasian Choral Conducting competition. In 2005 he was awarded third prize in the Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition. Also in 2005, his outstanding performances won him the famous Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, which led to an invitation to collaborate with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival. In the same year, Chen was the winner in the American Symphony Orchestra League’s National Conductor Preview.

Under ever-growing international attention, Christopher Chen has maintained good long-term working relations with orchestras and opera houses throughout Europe, the US and Australia. As a conductor, Chen won high acclaim from local music critics for his work with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmania Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In 2004 he was invited to work with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the St. Magnus Festival on Orkney. As an orchestral conductor, Christopher Chen has worked with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra in Greece, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in Florida, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in Maryland, the Silesian Philharmonic in Poland, the Cadaques Orchestra in Spain, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Britain, as well as orchestras in Asia including Japan's Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Philharmonic, the Macao Symphony Orchestra, Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Evergreen Orchestra, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan and the Sein?joki City Orchestra in Finland among others.

Chen's credentials as an opera conductor have been thoroughly honed and sharpened through his work as assistant conductor with the Baltimore Opera and the Finnish National Opera, where he built up a formidable repertoire of productions including Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Salome, Turandot, The Magic Flute, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Marriage of Figaro, Lakme, Carmen and Lady MacBeth of the Mtsensk, among other full-scale operas. In 2004, he conducted the world premiere of American composer Ferrante’s opera Super Double Lite at Symphony Space in New York. In 2006 he was invited by Maestro Valery Gergiev to conduct Verdi's La Traviata with the famous Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, a collaboration that was met with much favourable criticism and attention in Russian musical circles.

Between 2007 and 2011 Christopher Chen lived in China, where he was first appointed Music Director of the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Conducting and supervisor of the Master's degree programme at the Shanghai Conservatory . He conducted the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra at the Shanghai Concert Hall for the 80th anniversary of the school and lead the Shanghai Philharmonic orchestra in numerous New Year’s performances in Zhejiang province. By invitation, he has also conducted Japan's Kyushu Symphony Orchestra as part of a Sino-Japanese Friendship Concert which took place in Nanjing. During the 2007/08 season, he led the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra, the Jiangsu Opera Chorus and Radio Choir for their invited performance at the Shanghai Concert Hall at the famous Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. In 2008 he conducted this group again, this time at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, as part of an opening series of concerts entitled "Springtime for Symphonic China" which created huge media and critical acclaim in both Beijing and Jiangsu. In the same year, Mr. Chen led the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra on a tour to Korea and Japan, where he was once again invited to conduct the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra for their performance at the Fukuoka Concert Hall.

Between 2009 and 2011, Christopher Chen was Artistic Director of the Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre (SSCAC). In addition to his worldwide conducting engagements, at SSCAC he led the planning, organizing and overseeing of the artistic affairs of one of China's most important landmark venues for the performing arts. While there, he not only supervised the centre’s artistic development, but also arranged the SSCAC ballet company’s new production “Romeo and Juliet” world premiere in Taiwan, himself conducting the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra.

In May 2011, by serving as Conductor of Taipei National University of the Arts Orchestra, he invited Finnish Cellist Martti Rousi (1986 Tchaikovsky Silver Medal winner and as jury in 2011 Tchaikovsky International Competition) to play Dvo?ák Cello Concerto in a sold out concert in Taipei where both of them enjoyed a wonderful success. Then at the same year in the summer time, he led National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Cross-strait Youth Orchestra to tour both Taiwan and Mainland China with five concerts at Sun Moon Lake, Taichung, Guangdong Zhongshan, Tianjin and Beijing Concert Halls. At the end of these concerts, they received applause from the audience as long as seven or eight times. Now whether as a conductor, a pianist, a teacher or an administrator, Christopher Chen continues to progress in consummate musicianship, earning greater international prestige by the day.