Oak Park teen takes grand prize at Spotlight Awards

By Daniel Wolowicz danielw@theacorn.com

Sean Chen

Sean Chen said he learned to play the piano while he "fooled around" on a keyboard his parents had given him nearly 11 years ago.

Chen, a 16-year-old Oak Park junior, has spent the better part of a decade honing his talents to become one of the leading young pianists in the state. That determination and talent paid off last month, when Chen won the top prize in the classical instrument category during the 17th annual Spotlight Awards. The event is sponsored by the Music Center of Los Angeles County.

Chen performed Franz Liszt’s "Mephisto Waltz" in front of 900 people and a panel of celebrity judges at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to clench the $6,000 prize. Chen was also awarded a scholarship to the Aspen Music Festival.

The performance was the culmination of a selection process that began with his application last August. Over eight months, Chen advanced twice in the competition to earn a spot in the finals. The contest was open to anyone in Southern California and drew a total of 1,000 applicants.

Jeri Gaile, the program’s director, said during each round of competition judges grade the students and give both praise and suggestions about their performances.

"That’s what makes this competition unique," Gaile said. "We really try to make this a learning experience for the performers and not just about the competition. We want them to walk away with helpful comments from our judges."

Gaile said she still hears rave reviews of Chen’s performance. Chen said he was excited when he heard his name announced, but was quick to point out music competitions are subjective and this one could have gone either way. It was Chen’s music teacher, Edward Francis, who selected the competition piece.

Chen said he does get nervous right before he plays, but he tries to use that anxiety to better his performance. "I think it’s healthy to take your anxiety and use it wisely for your performance," Chen said. "Once you start playing, though, you stop feeling nervous."

Chen practices piano anywhere from one to four hours a night. He is currently working on a piece composed by Chopin who, along with Rachmaninoff, is one of his favorite composers.

"What I like best about the music is performing," Chen said. "I also like being able to play something that is 300 or 400 years old." Chen said. He enjoys the piano specifically because so much music has been written for it.

Chen was born in Florida and moved to California about 12 years ago. He lives in Oak Park with his parents and his 12-year-old twin brothers, Jason and Andrew.

To blow off steam, Chen likes to watch movies, play video games, practice his guitar and work on computer design. He said his favorite movie is "The Incredibles." And when it comes to other music, Chen likes everything "except rap." Chen said he also enjoys video game music because of its orchestral composition.

As for the future, Chen is still undecided. A career in music is possible, but Chen is not exactly sure what he wants to do.

Chen maintains a weighted 4.3 grade point average. Even though he has not seriously considered any one school, Chen listed the well-known performing arts colleges, the Julliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, as possible destinations.

Regardless of where he goes, it looks as if Sean Chen has a promising future tickling the ivories.