Junyan Chen at the 2026 Lichfield Festival | Concert Review
Filled with infectious vitality and enthusiasm, pianist Junyan Chen’s recital was a fitting finale to the 2026 Lichfield Festival. In the beautiful, late-night surroundings of Lichfield Cathedral, it was the perfect setting for a midsummer piano recital featuring works by Rachmaninov, Earl Wild-George Gershwin and Karen Tanaka.
In a change to the advertised programme, Junyan Chen opened with Karen Tanaka’s 2000 composition, Techno Etudes. These are, perhaps, not what your standard Lichfield audience is used to, but in an explosive start to the programme, the audience were captivated. The infectious rhythms and pulsing tempo were only enhanced by the reverberations of the ancient building - a stark juxtaposition if ever there was one.
There was a seamless transition into Rachmaninov’s Études-Tableaux, Op. 33. When you hear works like this in their entirety, you realise how few you know. Junyan Chen was fully invested in this mesmerising performance, with every detail realised with phenomenal understanding and sensitivity.
Earl Wild’s Seven Virtuoso Ètudes after George Gershwin were a perfect filling for the Rachmaninov sandwich. Junyan Chen’s performance of these complex and astonishingly tricky works was as exuberant as ever, yet each one remained fluid, the virtuosity never overbearing. Each individual work was allowed to sing, the melodies shining through.
If the Wild was the warm-up, Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version) was the main event. Virtuosic and sumptuous in equal measure, Junyan Chen played with depth and vitality, with an incredible feeling for the nuances of the music on every level.
The recital ended with not one, but two encores, and I’m sure the audience wouldn’t have been disappointed by a third or fourth. Junyan Chen captivated the audience, and we were fully behind her throughout.
I have heard many pianists in my time - after all, I’ve played for over 35 years and taught for 25 - and I can honestly say that Junyan Chen is one of - if not the best - pianists I have ever had the privilege to hear perform live.
There are few words left to describe such an astonishing performance. If you get the chance to hear her, do - you won’t be disappointed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lichfield Cathedral, Sunday 19th July 2026, 9pm
Tanaka: Techno Etudes
Rachmaninov: Études-Tableaux, Op. 33
Earl Wild: Virtuoso Ètudes after George Gershwin
Rachmaninov: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version)
Junyan Chen piano
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