Father's love powers violinist's ascent to greatness
Zhu Dan is grateful to those who have mentored him - from his first violin teacher in China to some of the world's top violin pedagogues, including Lucie Robert, Ivry Gitlis, Gerard Poulet and Aaron Rosand. But it is his father's early guidance and persistence for which he feels most thankful.
"My father guided me to start the violin. Without his push, help and guidance, I don't think I could be who I am today," says the violinist, who will be in town for The Intimacy of Creativity music season.
The Beijing-born Zhu received his first violin at the age of four from his father, an avid music lover and a violin player in his spare time. "He was a member of Mao's sent-down youth and was deprived of opportunities to receive professional training. But he has a good ear for music," the 32-year-old says.
Every week, Zhu's father took him to violin lessons and sat there during the class. At home, he helped Zhu practise. "He is strict and disciplined, but never a tiger father. My musical development has so much to do with him," says Zhu.
From the age of eight, Zhu studied with Wang Zhilong, the late violin professor from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, after he spotted Zhu during a violin contest. One year later, for his first public performance at Beijing Music Hall, Zhu played a Mendelssohn violin concerto, accompanied by the China Youngsters Chamber Orchestra, where he was the first violin and soloist.
Focusing on the violin while attending school meant he had little time left to play with his peers. Each weekend at the youngsters' orchestra was the only time he could be with children of his age. "Playing violin in the youngsters' orchestra was like playing games with my buddies. I looked forward to each weekend," he says.
Everybody agreed Zhu was a rising violin star. But when he failed the entrance exams to the school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music three years in a row, it stunned all of them. "It was a huge blow to me. I had this big question mark about my talents." Again, it was his parents' belief in him that propelled Zhu to work harder until, at the age of 12 and on his fourth attempt, he was accepted by the school. There, he studied with Huang Xiaozhi, another violin professor in the conservatory.
Four years later, Zhu received an invitation from Robert at the Mannes College of Music in New York for an enrolment audition. But it was in the days after the US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in mid-1999 and the US embassy in Beijing was closed because of large demonstrations. Once again Zhu had his father's persistence to thank. "Every day my father made a phone call to the embassy asking when they would reopen for visa service, until I was booked the first day the embassy was back to work," he says.
"On the day of the visa interview, I went to the embassy from school with the violin on my back. There, I played a solo piece for the visa officer and got the visa. It was Monday. I flew out of Beijing the next day. On Wednesday I was in New York meeting my teacher at her home for my first violin lesson."
The 16-year-old Zhu was awarded the Alexis Gregory Scholarship. In the following seven years, he studied with Robert.
It was in the US that his music career took off. At 18, Zhu gave his debut performance at Carnegie Hall playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Two years later, he performed in Paris and signed up with an agency in Europe. In 2004, he won the third place at the Sendai International Music Competition in Japan; in 2006, he placed sixth at the Montreal International Musical Competition.
Today Zhu is one of the finest Chinese musicians on the international stage. He travels the world giving concerts in collaboration with maestros including pianist/conductor Christoph Eschenbach and conductor Zubin Mehta.
During the two-week Intimacy of Creativity season - which runs from tomorrow until May 4 - Zhu will be a special guest, participating in a dialogue between performers and composers, as well as giving concerts and masterclasses.