bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Q. When did you start playing cello?

A. I started when I was five. My mother was fond of playing cello when she was young, but she chose not to become a cellist. It's she who encouraged me to become one.

Q. Do you remember your first public performance?

A. It was Camille Saint-Saens' Concerto For Cello In A Minor. I played it with the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble when I was 12.

Q. Who do you admire?

A. The masters Yo-Yo Ma and Lynn Harrell, although I had only one lesson with each. Yo-Yo Ma was nice and easy-going. I had half an hour with him and it seemed that he liked my playing. It is my dream to perform with them.

Q. What is your favourite piece of music and why?

A. I like so many, but especially Elgar's Cello Concerto In E Minor, Opus 85, which I will play tomorrow evening. I have played it many times before and I feel that it's like my personality - simultaneously gentle and strong.

Q. Does this competition put you under a lot of pressure?

A. I don't feel much pressure. But it's my first time taking part in a competition that involves different instrumentalists, which is quite interesting. I think it's best for me to go in and not think about winning.

Q. What do you plan to do after the competition?

A. I'll take a short trip back to Shanghai and then I'll go to study music at the State University of New York where I have a scholarship later this month. If I should win, I don't think the performing contract would interfere too much with my school work and I can allocate the time to do recordings. I hope I will have the chance to perform with orchestras around the world.

Q. Do you have any suggestions to other young musicians?

A. I would say winning is not everything. It's a gift just to be able to study music.



Zhu Lin