CCOHK ENEWSLETTER Issue No.41

Interview with SU YAN, violinist of the CCOHK.

Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong?
I was born in mainland China, then lived in the UK for ten years before moving here in October 2008. My Quality Migrant Admission Scheme application has just been approved so now I am settling into my new life in Hong Kong.

What brought you to Hong Kong?
I was attracted to the vibrant city lifestyle and the exciting new opportunities that Hong Kong has to offer. It is also much closer to my parents who live in Xiamen. Although still an hour’s flight away, my parents are delighted now that I have significantly reduced the mileage between us!

You studied in England for some time. Could you tell us about your experience there?
My years of study at the Royal Academy of Music have been an incredible learning experience; I had the opportunity to meet and work with many internationally renowned artists. I was also very lucky to study under professor Hu Kun during the entire five years, he is such a fantastic violinist and great mentor to his students.

After graduation, I taught violin at the Abbey School in Reading for five years. Being the only violin teacher in a prestigious girls school, I had a busy teaching schedule for all the violin students, as well as directing the school chamber orchestra, and chamber music coaching. Whilst working at the Abbey School, I took on the position of the sessional lecturer at the University of Reading. It was a challenge for me at the time working with University students who were not much younger than myself and to prepare them for their demanding exam/recital programmes. They all did very well and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

I was also a member of the London Hu Kun Orchestra and performed in many of my own solo and chamber music concerts in both the UK and China, and had the pleasure of working with many talented Royal Academy graduates who are now mature and established artists themselves.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the CCOHK?
I became a member of the City Chamber Orchestra in December 2008 and have enjoyed it very much so far! I love the diversity of our repertoire and interesting guest artists so there's always something new and exciting, something for everyone to enjoy including children. I like very much the intimacy and the versatility of a chamber orchestra and I admire my colleagues’ professionalism and their attention to detail for every single rehearsal and concert, even after a long day's teaching!

Which CCOHK guest artist has made the biggest impression on you?
For me it's the German male soprano Jorg Waschinski, he has such an incredible voice, not to mention the range! I know this style of singing has a long history which goes all the way back to the 16th century, but I have never heard a male singer who sings in the range of the castrati live. It was a rare and unique opportunity to play in this concert and the choice of the repertoire that night just made it even more special.

What CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you?
I’m torn between 3 concerts. The "Voice Celestial" with Jorg Waschinski. The "Haydn's Cello" concert with Alexander Rudin as our guest conductor - I particularly enjoyed his performance that night of the Vivaldi Concerto for two cellos with our principal cellist Artem Konstantinov. It was lovely to see the collaboration between Artem and his formal teacher Alexander Rudin, a beautiful performance from both artists. Last but not least the "Glass Music" concert with Thomas Bloch playing the Glass Harmonica. I've never seen a glass harmonica played before and it was fascinating just to watch him play!

Name one of the most important milestones in your music career.
Probably the concert I did with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and to have my teacher Hu Kun as a guest conductor that night was really special. It was a collaboration between me and a friend of mine who's also a Royal Academy graduate and we played the Bach Double Violin Concerto which was televised in front of an audience of nearly one thousand. I was pretty nervous before the concert as it was a particularly hectic year with teaching and I had just finished two other chamber music recitals a month before in the UK. It went really well, and we had good reviews in several newspapers.

What message do you have for our friends?
I would like to thank our friends and sponsors for lending their continued support for our work, and for their special contributions to our concerts. It is the start of our new concert season and also the CCOHK’s 10th anniversary so lots of exciting new events and guest artists coming up this year. I hope you enjoy our concerts as much as I do, and I look forward to seeing you at our future performances!