Next Saturday, the China Philharmonic Orchestra will continue its series of concerts in cooperation with overseas Chinese musicians, this time with young violinist Xue Wei.
Born in 1963 in China, Xue has been described as "one of the outstanding violinists of our time."
Xue was a prize winner at the 1981 Chinese National Violin Competition, the 1982 Carl Flesch International Violin Competition and the 1983 Japan International Music (violin) Competition.
He went to Britain in 1985 to study at the Guildhall School of Music.
In 1986, Xue won the Tchaikovsky Silver Medal in Moscow and a week later returned to London to win every prize, including the Sonata Prize and Orchestra and Audience Prize, at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition.
His recording of the Strauss and Headington Violin Concertos was nominated in the Brit Awards and was described by Gramophone magazine as "played with panache and deep musical integrity by one of the outstanding violinists of our time."
Next Saturday, Xue will play Saint-Saens' the "Violin Concerto No 3 in B minor, opus 61" with China Philharmonic Orchestra.
Under the baton of American conductor Donald Portnoy, the orchestra will also play Rossini's "Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia" and Mendelssohn's "Symphony No 4 in A major, opus 90."
Portnoy is universally recognized as one of the most dynamic and inspiring symphony orchestra conductors in the United States. He brings to music a unique awareness and appreciation of the audience and a refreshing sensitivity towards the musicians with whom he works.
Portnoy has been music director and conductor of the Augusta Symphony for the past 10 seasons. He is also the founder and director of the internationally renowned Conductors Institute.
(China Daily 05/22/2001)
