Search for the country's next great violin composer

According to historical records, the first violin performance in China took place in 1699, when a foreign missionary played for Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The first original Chinese violin composition was Difficult Road (Xinglu Nan) by famous Chinese geologist Li Siguang in 1919. However, original Chinese violin works have been sparse and few have achieved international fame. The exceptions are Chen Gang and He Zhanhao's Butterfly Lovers (Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai) and Ma Sicong's Missing Home (Sixiang Qu).

Organizers of the Second Palatino Awards Music Composition (violin works) Competition hope to contribute to the repertory of Chinese violin works.

"The most popular Chinese violin works were those composed from the 1930s to the 1970s," says Guo Wenjing, a well-known composer and professor of composition from the Central Conservatory of Music, which is one of the organizers of the Palatino competition.

"The development of violin compositions in the last 30 years cannot compare to the development of other areas," Guo says.

The first Palatino Awards Music Composition was held in 2007 for piano works. Among the 21 award-winning works, six were also listed as compulsory works for the Cadenza Cup Competition for Performance of Chinese Piano Works, and the two highest prizes winners played works from the Palatino competition at the final.

"At violin competitions in China, it is a common phenomenon that many violinists play the same Chinese works," says Lin Yaojin, a professor of violin of the Central Conservatory and chairman of the board of judges for the Palatino competition.

The Palatino competition will be held in three rounds, in Beijing and Tianjin. The final will be held on May 31 at the 17th China International Exhibition On Professional Audio Light Music & Technology in Beijing.

The first-, second-, and third-prize winners will take home 30,000 yuan ($4,300), 20,000 ($2,800) and 8,000 ($1,134), respectively.

More information can be found at the website of the Central Conservatory of Music: www.ccom.edu.cn.

(China Daily 03/25/2008 page19)