Player 1 (LP)

Violinist, entrepreneur and pioneer Ray Chen celebrates the diverse and ever-evolving sounds of entertainment music.

At the album’s core is Korngold’s Violin Concerto, paying homage to the composer's profound impact on Hollywood and the evolution of film scores. Ray plays the ‘Dolphin’ 1714 Stradivarius. The violin once belonged to Jascha Heifetz, who premiered the Korngold Concerto in 1947.

Ray presents Korngold’s classical masterwork through the prism of his personally curated selection themes from the worlds of television (Squid Game), anime (Naruto, The Promised Neverland), film (How to Train Your Dragon) and gaming (The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon).

Each theme has been specially arranged for Ray for this album. Ray has a close relationship with many of the pieces, which evoke strong feelings of nostalgia
Ray commissioned the Indonesian LA-based rising classical influencer and composer Eunike Tanzil to write him a new work for the album Serenade, designed specifically for the online world of soundtracking aesthetic moments.

TRACK LIST

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
JOHN POWELL (arr. Sally Herbert): Romantic Flight (from How to Train Your Dragon)
TOSHIO MASUDA (arr. Benjamin Rimmer): Sadness & Sorrow (from Naruto)
MANAKA KATAOKA (arr. Andrew Skeet): Main Theme (from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom)
JUNG JAEIL (arr. John Langley): I Remember My Name (from Squid Game)
EUNIKE TANZIL: Serenade
JUNICHI MASUDA (arr. Andrews Skeet): Pallet Town (from Pokémon Red)
TAKAHIRO OBATA (arr. Benjamin Rimmer): Isabella’s Lullaby (from The Promised Neverland)

ARTISTS
Ray Chen, violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Cristian Macelaru