Violinist recounts journey to bring China's artistry to world stage

His electrifying talent while playing the violin has won Siqing Lu an army of fans in China and abroad as he takes audiences on a musical journey that he hopes will inspire hope, illuminate the universal human experience and bring people together.

The musician, who currently splits his time between China and New York City, is clear what emotions he wants his music to evoke when he plays the violin.

"I always believe that music should speak straight to the heart," Lu told China Daily in an exclusive interview in New York. "And also, music is the best way to communicate and to exchange feelings with people.

"So, when I play, I don't want to impose, or impress anyone with the technique part of the violin. I just want to communicate something very honest and human."

He fondly reminisced on the start of his musical journey and how it helped him bring Chinese artistry to the world stage.

Born in Qingdao, Shandong province, Lu began studying the violin at the tender age of four. At just eight years old, he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and became the youngest student in the school's history, studying under Professor Wang Zhenshan.

That early start was pivotal in his career, he says, as it, along with his family's support, shaped him.

"I come from a musical family. My father loved music and my mother was an amateur singer. My two older brothers played violin, so starting early allowed me to build a deep and natural connection with the violin. And the violin became part of my life, just like eating or sleeping before I even realized what a career meant."

Lu would go on to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom after being personally selected by Menuhin. He also attended The Juilliard School in New York under legendary teachers Dorothy DeLay and Hyo Kang.

He added that his international studies helped him to develop discipline and curiosity and to become "a well-rounded person." And experiencing all of these different countries gave him something very unique.

"In China, I learned a strong technical foundation … and in the UK, I started to appreciate musical traditions in Western music and its elegance and its history. And in New York, I found the confidence to express myself in my own voice, and also, how you should develop to become a professional musician."

Described by many as a leading talent of his generation, in 1987, Lu made history as the first Asian violinist to win the gold medal at the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition in Italy.

His numerous honors include prizes from the Beijing International Youth Violin Competition and the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition.

He has released over two dozen albums. Some of the most iconic pieces of music are his renditions of the beloved Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, with five different recordings selling millions of copies worldwide. His album, Beauty of the Violin, from 2018, featured concertos and was recorded with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

He has played to enthralled audiences in over 40 countries and worked with a host of orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and China Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as stars such as pianist Lang Lang.

He also performs regularly with the China Trio, which he founded in 2011.

"Music has no borders, no boundaries. It connects people beyond language and nationalities. I hope, through my playing, that audiences around the world feel the beauty and depths of Chinese artistry, but also the universal power of music."

New York's Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa are just a few of the stages he's graced, in addition to Vienna's Musikverein, London's Royal Opera House, Paris's Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Tokyo's Suntory Hall, Melbourne's Hamer Hall and the NCPA in Beijing.

His long list of honors includes certificates from the US House of Representatives, California State Senate and California State Assembly.

He received the 'Outstanding Asian Artistic Achievement Award in New Jersey' and the 'Montblanc Outstanding Artist Award.'

In Millbrae, California, Sept 16, 2006 was named Siqing Lu Day.

While his life and career have been distinctly international, he is clear that it his "honor and responsibility to represent China and also present Chinese music to the Western audience or to the audience of the world."

He heads up several organizations and is president of the Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao, artistic director of the May Festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and lifetime artistic ambassador of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia.

But amid his own widespread success, one of his biggest passions is to inspire the next generation. He created the Siqing Lu Shenzhen Futian International Strings Festival in 2016 for emerging talent to help do this.

"I thought I was always very fortunate to have some great mentors throughout my life and have the support of these mentors and family members and friends. And I always felt that I should give something back to the society, to the music world, actually. So, the festival is about helping young musicians to grow, not just technically, but most important, artistically and emotionally.

"I want them to feel inspired that music can truly change their lives just as it changed mine, but more, it can change the life of everybody. So, I feel we have to pass the torch, you know, and we should pass it generation to generation."

Lu will be performing at the Piano Trio Concert, an Afternoon of Cultural Splendor, part of the ongoing concert series at Carnegie Hall in New York City, on Sunday Nov 23 alongside renowned piano player Li Jian, and principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra Hai-Ye Ni.

belindarobinson@chinadailyusa.com