Violinist Lyu holds concert in ancient village

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Renowned violinist Lyu Siqing recently presented a concert of classical music to villagers in Baiyu, an ancient village in a remote mountain area in western Beijing.

Lyu, born in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province, is known as the "Oriental Paganini." Taught by his father and uncle, he began studying violin at the age of four, and at the age of seventeen he won the first prize at the Paganini International Violin Competition, becoming the first Asian violinist to obtain the honor. Lyu pursued advanced studies at the Juilliard School in New York City at the age of nineteen and won the Web Concert Hall International Competition in 1999.

As a well-known violinist, Lyu has spared no efforts to help popularize chamber music. In recent years, he has presented several classical music concerts to audiences in downtown Beijing and its suburbs with the help of the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA). Since he is serving as the art director of the 2015 NCPA May Festival, he held a concert with young artists from the NCPA Orchestra in the remote ancient village of Baiyu.

Lyu talked with villagers there with a humble smile, telling them that it doesn't matter if they don't know about classical music or the name of the pieces he played, or even his name. He said he is simply satisfied when villagers like the music and think his performance is interesting.

Lyu also said that people feel a greater need for the arts as their material life improves. He asserted that classical music, which can generate positive energy in people's minds and souls, has to be better popularized and promoted to allow more people to experience its charm. Lyu believes that classical music should be put on a wider stage and should not be confined to concert halls.

When asked about how to balance his art with the needs of daily life, Lyu said, "Every successful man has to learn to balance the two. I always have gratitude in my heart. We need to stop sometimes in this quick-paced life to feel love, friendship and family bonds and enjoy life." Lyu is not satisfied with simply being a good musician – he hopes to be a good husband and father as well.

From April 22 to May 22, the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) will hold 20 public performances in schools, communities, museums, institutions, subway stations, bus stops and villages. These events are the NCPA's way of telling the public that the fine arts and classical music are not luxuries but are accessible to everyone.

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