CHIEN Wen-pin

Kapellmeister of Deutsche Oper am Rhein since 1996, conductor Chien Wen-pin is also Executive and Artistic Director designée of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan. Other positions he has held included Resident Conductor of Pacific Music Festival in Japan (1998–2004), Music Director of Taiwan Philharmonic (2001–2007) and Artistic Advisor of National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (2014–2016).

Apart from conducting operas at major opera houses in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland, Chien frequently appears as guest conductor with well-known orchestras in Europe and Asia including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Russian Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic and NHK Symphony Orchestra. During his tenure as the Music Director of Taiwan Philharmonic, Chien led the orchestra in the critically acclaimed production of Wagner’s complete Ring cycle in 2006, which was the first-ever production in the Chinese speaking regions.

Born in Taipei, Chien obtained his master’s degree in conducting from National University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He was a prizewinner of a number of conducting competitions in Europe, including the only Special Mention in the 1st Leonard Bernstein Jerusalem International Conducting Competition in 1995. Chien was also a recipient of the 18th National Awards of Art, the highest cultural and creative sector honour in Taiwan, in 2014.