How did New Zealand pianist John Chen end up in Uganda?

John Chen launched his career by winning the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition, where he won prizes for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chamber music and Concerto.

Since then, he has performed across Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and extensively in Australia and New Zealand, including performances at significant festivals such as Klavierfestival Ruhr and Singapore International Piano Festival.

Chen currently lives in Kampala, Uganda, where he works as Deputy Principal and school chaplain of Acacia International School.

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A gap in his touring schedule and a need to explore options outside of music prompted his move to Africa, he tells RNZ’s Three to Seven.

“I think some of it was I wanted to do something a little bit different with my life. I think that there are a lot of amazing musicians around and I figured, you know, the world might not miss one more.

“And I wanted to do something that would make a little bit of a difference. I think that part of my Christian beliefs guided me in that decision also.”

The French romantic repertoire remains a passion, he says.

“French music has always been a big part of what I've done. However, I had quite neglected a lot of the French romantics. And so, I was just looking through the French romantic repertoire, deciding on some pieces that I felt would be important for me to learn just for my musical education:

“These included the Franck Prélude, Choral et Fugue, which was a piece that people had always been recommending me to play, and the Fauré Theme and Variations. And I love these pieces a lot.”

Chen met and married his wife in Zambia, and home is now Kampala, in Uganda. He sees himself as teacher first musician second these days, he says.

“I would say I still dabble in music. It's one of my great pastimes. I still really, really enjoy practicing. But I don't have that schedule of a professional musician anymore.

"I used to practice four or five hours a day, learn lots of repertoire. It's something that I enjoy and do on the side.”

“It's been really, really good to see some of these centres and to be back on the road in New Zealand again. I forget just how amazingly beautiful New Zealand is. I've enjoyed some of the drives, and meeting some of the people in some of these smaller concert societies.

"And I think that there are a few places here that I've never played before. So that's really exciting for me.”

John Chen's solo piano recital of music by French composers toured NZ in June with some July dates still to come.