Erhu master Min Huifen leaves musical legacy spanning half a century
Extraordinary musician Min Huifen inspired colleagues, conductors and composers
The world of Chinese traditional music is mourning the loss of a grand master who reigned supreme in erhu performance for more than half a century.
Min Huifen, the undisputed master in the two-string fiddle since winning the national prize at the Shanghai Spring Arts Festival in 1963, passed away yesterday after a long illness, aged 69.
"We hoped for a repeat miracle after her successful battle against cancer in the 1980s," said Yan Huichang, artistic director of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, which last performed with Min in 2009.
Yan recalled performing with Min the Great Wall Capriccio, the first concerto composed for erhu and orchestra in four movements, at the first China Arts Festival in Beijing in 1987.
"The work owes its origins to the huge tapestry of the Great Wall hung at the United Nations building that inspired composer Liu Wenjin as much as did Min, who also toured with the Chinese Art Delegation in 1978. The concerto would not have come into existence without the virtuoso Min," Yan said.
