'Chinese Paganini' performs

Every year China exports numerous violins and violinists to Western countries. Now two established Chinese violinists return to their hometown this summer to display their artistic achievements after years' hard work in the United States.

Known as the "Chinese Paganini," violinist Lu Siqing will stage a concert in mid-July, the first of a series of seven summer concerts at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.

Lu was the first Asian violinist to win the gold prize at the Paganini International Violin Competition in Italy in 1987 when he was only 18 years old.

Lu began studying the violin with his father, a music lover, at the age of four. He went to the Juilliard School of Music in New York to study with renowned violinists Dorothy Delay and Hyo Kang after he won the Paganini competition.

As one of the best Chinese violinists of his time, Lu has a fantastically smooth and controlled bow arm and his tone is rich, lyrical and crystalline.

But the Shanghai repertoire of the "Chinese Paganini" does not include any of Paganini's legendary compositions. Instead it features Saint-Saens' "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso," Wieniawski's "Polonaise de Concert in D Major, Op. 4," Chen Gang's "Sunlight Shine in the Ta-Shi-Ku-Er-Gan," Sarasate's "Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25" and Sibelius' "Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47."

"I've always avoided performing Paganini compositions after winning the award," says the 38-year-old violinist. "I know people love to label musicians, as they labeled Li Yundi as the 'Chopin Interpreter' after he won the Chopin prize. Performers cannot be restricted by compositions."

"I suggest the audience pay attention to Wieniawski's 'Polonaise de Concert in D Major, Op.4' during the concert," Lu adds. "You know I play a 18th century Guarini violin, which has been used by Polish violinist Wieniawski, who has written four polonaises for violins. It's magic to play one of the musician's pieces with a violin he had used before, just like having a cross-time conversation with him."