Three Young Artists Win Opportunity to Play with Violinist Ray Chen

Following an international competition, three emerging artists will perform alongside Chen and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House

First presented in 2019 with the LA Philharmonic, finalists in the inaugural Play with Ray competition joined Chen for a performance at the Hollywood Bowl. This latest collaboration with the Sydney Symphony is the second time that the global competition has been held and the first edition in the Southern Hemisphere.

The three chosen artists will perform Bach’s Double Concerto at the Sydney Opera House alongside Ray Chen on July 25, 2023.

Chosen from close to a thousand entries from more than 56 countries, the three winning violinists include: Yongren Yuto Lim (11 years old, Singapore), Anna Sing (21 years old, Melbourne), Przemysław (Przemek) Prucnal (21 years old, Poland).

11-year-old Yongren Yuto Lim began playing the violin at four years of age. He recently received his performance diploma from the UK’s Trinity College and has won several awards — including first prize at 2022 Làszlò Spezzaferri International Music and Music Singapore competitions, and an Honourable Mention in the 2021 National Piano and Violin competition.

Currently studying medicine at the University of Melbourne, Australian violinist Anna Sing performs with the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the university’s Medical Students’ Society Orchestra, and Corpus Medicorum – a

Melbourne-based orchestra of doctors, medical students, and health professionals. She was the recipient of the Australian Strings Association Paul McDermott Violin Scholarship in 2016 and has been a finalist in the Musical Society of Victoria Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Awards.

21-year-old violinist Przemysław (Przemek) Prucnal made his soloist debut with the Zabrze Philharmonic Orchestra. He has won several awards, including first prize at the Polish Arts Education Center Nationwide Violin Competition and the XV Polish Nationwide Forum of Young Instrumentalists. He is a recipient of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage and the National Center of Culture’s Young Poland scholarships. He is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in music studies at Poland’s leading Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music.

“Ray Chen is my hero. I admire him not only for his violin skills, but also what he does to inspire the world," Yongren Yuto Lim said. "As a child, Ray travelled to Sydney to take violin lessons, and at that time dreamed of playing at the Sydney Opera House. I’m so grateful to Ray and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for the opportunity to perform with them!"

Led by guest conductor Tianyi Lu, Play with Ray will also feature a program curated by Ray Chen, including arrangements of favourite tunes for violin and orchestra.