Another musician, Shanghai-born violinist Zhang Le, has walked a musical road rather similar to Lu's. Zhang first learned violin from his violinist father and went to the Julliard School after winning in international competition.

Zhang released his first album in China this month. It features lovely pieces ranging from Jascha Heifetz's arrangement "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," "Camen Fantasy" to the gypsy-style "Ziguenerweisen."

Like Lu, Zhang studied with maestro Dorothy Delay who said of him: "All the world will hear your playing. You will be a great violinist." Zhang was a prize winner in the Queen Elizabeth International Competition in Belgium, the Menuhin Violin Competition in England and the Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poland.

In 1993 he became the first violinist from China to join the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

As more high-quality, well-priced Chinese violins are exported, we wish more Chinese violinists would return home to play and glow.

Lu Siqing recital
Date: July 14, 7:30pm
Tickets: 80-580 yuan

Australian jazz musicians Jacki Cooper and John Morrison
Date: July 15, 7:30pm
Tickets: 50-500 yuan

Belgian pianist Luk Baiwir
Date: July 20-22, 7:45pm
Tickets: 100 yuan

Canadian Madision Girls Chorus
Date: July 28 7:30pm
Tickets: 100 yuan

Asian Youth Orchestra and Finnish conductor Okko Kamu
Date: August 12, 7:30pm
Tickets: 100 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, 425 Dingxiang Rd, Pudong
Tel: 021-6854-1234