Biography

Since his solo debuts at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) and the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York in 2009, Jim-Isaac Chua has delighted audiences in the USA, Canada, Poland, France, Italy, Austria, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines for his “outstanding pianistic mastery and artistry of the most outstanding and demanding literature which seem to reach the limit of pianistic abilities” (Anna Miech). This has resulted in him being awarded in several international competitions and his concerts being praised as “a feast for the ears” (Szczecin Radio)—“you hear, feel, and absorb [Chua’s] music with your whole soul” (Józef Świder Concert Hall).

During the Filipino-American pianist’s most recent fall 2023 tour of the USA, Poland, and the Philippines, Chua gave over a dozen concerts in notable halls such as Krzysztofory Palace (Fontana Hall), Józef Świder Concert Hall, Kimbrough Concert Hall, Bing Crosby Theater, CSI Fine Arts Center, Rodelsa Hall, and Fernan Cebu Press Center where the Cebu Arts Society wrote that “[Chua] gifted us with one of the most beautiful piano performance we have ever seen.” His passion for using concerts to benefit non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity and The Arc Foundation has also resulted in him being featured on several TV and radio interviews; he was even featured on the cover of GO! Eastern Oregon for his concert benefiting Crossroads Carnegie Art Center to make the arts accessible to all in the area.

Earlier that year, Chua was invited to perform in Vienna by several musical organizations (Gesellschaft für Musiktheater, Wiener-Krakauer Kultur Gesellschaft), performing for esteemed guests such as the Philippine and U.S. Embassy in Vienna. He also performed all across Poland (Warsaw (Sala Koncertowa UMFC), Kraków (Sala Koncertowa PSM im. Żeleńskiego, Muzeum Krakowa - Pałac Krzysztofory), Katowice (MDK “Koszutka”, Sala Koncertowa AM im. Karola Szymanowskiego, Miasto Ogrodów - Instytucja Kultury im. Krystyny Bochenek), Rzeszów (Private Concerts), Szczecin (Willa Lentza), Sosnowiec (Towarzystwo Muzyczne im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego), Jastrzębie-Zdrój (Sala Koncertowa PSM im. prof. Józefa Świdra) and Tarnowskie Góry (Pałac w Rybnej). 

Chua continues to be mentored and receives artistic direction by Maria Szwajger-Kulakowska after having graduated from the Eastman School of Music (Nelita True), Vancouver Academy of Music (Lee Kum Sing, highest distinction), and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music (Maria Szwajger-Kulakowska and Zbigniew Raubo). His deep interest in early music has also led him to finish his harpsichord studies (with Marcin Swiatkiewicz) at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music.