By Tara Tan

Her delicate features are framed by pretty curls, and Chinese pianist Chen Jie also has a winning smile.

But underneath all that lies a killer combination of level-headedness and quiet strength, armour necessary for a young female pianist forging her way in a male-dominated industry.

At age 23, she has already played in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Halls in New York, won numerous competitions such as the 2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2004 International Piano-e Competition, and even released her first album, Jie Chen: Chinese Piano Favourites, last year.

She will be performing at the Esplanade as part of its seventh annual Huayi Festival, which showcases Chinese arts events.

Speaking to Life! over the telephone from Hong Kong, where she is on a business trip, she says in English: 'We constantly struggle with many things.

'First, the physical aspect of this profession. Many pieces require you to have large hands, which most women do not have naturally, as well as a lot of stamina to play the long pieces.

'Also, as a concert pianist, you are constantly travelling, which can often make you feel very lonely. You spend holidays alone on aeroplanes and live in hotel rooms.'

Indeed, it is evident that the Guangdong-born pianist, who left for the United States when she was 13 to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, has made many sacrifices for her craft.

'All I can say is, I grew up really fast,' she says.

'At 13, I was surrounded by people much older than me and I had to take care of a lot of daily practical things on my own, as well as deal with the emotions of moving to a foreign country. But it's good because it prepared me for the world.'

It seems to have paid off for the only child of two engineers, with the international classical world and press beginning to lavish attention on this fast-rising star.

The New York Times, for instance, praised her 'impressive musicality' in a review of her solo piano recital at Schimmel Center for the Arts at New York's Pace University in August 2006.

>Her parents, however, keep her feet firmly on the ground.

She readily shares advice that they have given her: 'Everything happens very fast, fame can come very quickly. But it is not about how early you achieve all that, but how long you can keep people's love.'

Now, she is turning her attention back to the East.

After spending the last decade in the US, she is looking to build a base in China soon.

'Asia has such a wonderful market and demand for classical music. As a Chinese, I feel obligated to perform more in my motherland,' she says.

'I also hope to collaborate with more Chinese and Asian contemporary composers, because I feel that it is this part of the world which will represent the voice of our times.'

Staying true to her background, the versatile performer, who says she has an 'organic connection with the piano', will straddle both East and West in her performances.

Her Singapore debut on Feb 8 at the Esplanade Concert Hall will feature works such as 4 Ballades by Polish composer Chopin and Liu Yang River arranged by Chinese composer Wang Jianzhong.

Chen, whose steady manner shows a maturity well beyond her years, has this advice for aspiring musicians: Just go for it.

'Being young, you shouldn't fear anything. Whatever chance you get, grab it and give it your 200 per cent,' she says

'You never know what will come your way. I never thought I would be a music star when I was young, but it happened.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on January 29, 2009.