The New York Times

April 18, 2011, Steve Smith

Mr. Shen set six poems by Li Po with a lucid, economical lyricism handed down by Barber and Rorem. 

The New York Times

March 18, 2011, Vivien Schweitzer

The program opened with “Three Songs of Emily Dickinson,” by Shen Yiwen, a vibrant setting of three poems, including “So give me back to Death,” expressively sung by Dusica Bijelic.

The New York Times

January 25, 2011, Vivien Schweitzer

The inspiration for Shen Yiwen’s Quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2008) came from two ancient Chinese poems. “Guo Shang: Hymn to the Fallen” is an elegy for dead soldiers, with gentle piano chords solemnly played here by Blair McMillen. In “Li Hun: Recessional” the players scampered through a jaunty, vibrantly scored canvas.

Seen and Heard International

Bruce Hodges

Shen Yiwen was the impeccable pianist.

The New York Times

January 23, 2011, Allan Kozinn

Zygmunt Krauze’s dense, eventful “Terra Incognita” (1994) is hardly as consonant or as meditative as Mr. Kilar’s work, and the occasional appearance of a solo piano line, played deftly by Shen Yiwen, gives it great textural variety

Skidmore News

October 29, 2010, Samanthan Hoffmann

        Shen Yiwen's composition, "How Happy Some O'er Other Some Can Be!" showed a more symbiotic relationship between music and text. The equal balance allowed the listener to appreciate both elements as well as notice how they worked in conjunction. Shen put ironic twists on excerpts from Mendelssohn's incidental music to emphasize the text's themes.

        Right after the actress playing Helena spoke of her foiled marriage plans with Demetrius, the orchestra played a distorted version of the famed Wedding March, taking the jubilant first few chords and twisting them into hectic unhappiness.

The Times Union

October 23, 2010, Joseph Dalton

Yiwen's was the most far-reaching dramatically and began with an audacious quote of Mendlessohn's opening chords.

Woodstock Times

April 29, 2010, Leslie Gerber

      A tip from composer George Tsontakis brought me to Olin Auditorium at Bard College on Wednesday, April 21, at the unlikely hour of 5 p.m. Tsontakis has taught composition to young pianist and composer Shen Yiwen, and in a recital of Shen's music he realized that the young man is also an exceptional pianist. Thanks for the tip, George! You were right.

      It's hard to think of a more demanding program for a pianist than two late Beethoven Sonatas and Tsontakis's massive Ghost Variations. Yet Shen was completely up to the task. Unlike some composers whose playing is insightful but otherwise just functional, Shen is an excellent performer. His tonal quality was exceptionally beautiful, and he played the music with complete command of its technique and emotional content. His contrasts in the Prestissimo of the Sonata No. 30, Op.109, were appropriately wild, and the beautiful final movement ended in ecstasy. Without pause he then launched into the Sonata No.32, Op.111, which he played with extraordinary poise and dynamics. The Ghost Variations is extremely demanding of a pianist's technique and comprehension. I know it only through Stephen Hough's recording (not a bad way to get to know any piano music!) Shen's performance seemed completely confident and assured, and he made the piece sound extremely colorful.