I first started learning violin when I was six. One day after dinner, I asked my parents to let me learn an instrument on a whim. My dad chose the violin for me, not only because it is a portable one. My dad went to Italy on business when I was a baby. It was a late afternoon and my dad saw a group of teenagers carrying the violin cases, the smiles on their faces were brighter than the sunshine. My dad said he wanted his daughter to be as happy as them. At that moment, the idea of me playing the violin popped into his head. That was my first encounter with the violin.
I first started learning violin when I was six. One day after dinner, I asked my parents to let me learn an instrument on a whim. My dad chose the violin for me, not only because it is a portable one. My dad went to Italy on business when I was a baby. It was a late afternoon and my dad saw a group of teenagers carrying the violin cases, the smiles on their faces were brighter than the sunshine. My dad said he wanted his daughter to be as happy as them. At that moment, the idea of me playing the violin popped into his head. That was my first encounter with the violin.
In my teenage years, I went to New York City and had lessons at the Juilliard School. I never thought of being a musician until I went to the Aspen Music Festival at the age of 17. Immersing myself in music for eight weeks, I could not think of a better summer fulfilling with intensive rehearsals, chamber music and orchestral performances, and being surrounded by inspiring world-class musicians, like-minded friends, and magnificent nature. I was awarded a full scholarship to do my undergraduate studies at Bard College afterwards, where I studied the violin with Daniel Phillips and double majored in Art History. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees in New York, I came to London to complete my Master of Music in Performance degree at the Royal College of Music, studying with Gaby Lester.
Besides performing in the conservatoires and music festivals, I was fortunate to give performances in notable venues such as the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., Royal Albert Hall in London, the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall and Beijing Concert Hall. Other than professional musical performances, I participated a lot in volunteer programmes as a musician. The events that fuelled me the most were the concerts I played in prisons and hospitals. It is honourable enough to be a musician that could lighten others’ life for even one second. I might never meet my audience before, but we truly shared our sentiments while I was playing, and our hearts were bound together. Thanks to music, it allows people to share their love and joyfulness, or even their suffering and bitterness without the boundary of language.
EDUCATION
Royal College of Music
London, UK
Bard College
New York, USA
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS
What do you do with your time when you’re not playing music?
I like reading books. I remember the excitement of choosing books on the bookshelf walls at home when I was younger. I have been exploring the world through world literature since I was 11.
What’s your most memorable moment as a musician?
My most memorable moment as a musician was not a grand one, but it did melt my heart. When I was at Bard College, I went to a primary school near the campus. My string quartet group performed to the children and answered their questions, engaging them in musical activities. A girl came to me at the end and told me that she wanted to learn the violin because of my playing. It was indeed a special moment knowing this could have an impact on her life.
