Strictly classical | South China Morning Post

Huang is determined to stay with classical music, which he began to study at the age of four.

He recently released his debut, Violin Showpieces - a collection of his favourite pieces, such as La Campanella by Paganini, Reve D'enfant by Ysaye and Caprice by Saint-Saens.

'I need to be very careful when defining my position in a project like this [collaboration with Hacken Lee],' he said.

'My dream is to become an artist, not a performer.'

Huang won first prize in the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition three years ago, the third Asian to receive the honour.

He was also presented the Renato De Barbieri Memorial Award for the best interpretation of Paganini's caprices.

Hailed by the mainland press as 'The Paganini made in China', Huang has worked with some of the top orchestras in the world, including the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.

He recently graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Yu Lina.

Apart from his musical achievements, the Shanghai-born violinist is not much different from his peers. He keeps pictures of his girlfriend in his violin case and likes to play online games, such as World of Warcraft.

'Being a professional musician means frequent travelling, non-stop rehearsals and media interviews,' he said.

'But I'm enjoying it because I can see many new things by living in different cities.'

In recent years he has been giving recitals in Japan, Italy, Korea and the mainland.

His upcoming engagements include appearances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra.

He may perform as a guest at Lee's concert next month and will collaborate with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta in March's Hong Kong Arts Festival.

The Arts Festival concert, conducted by Yip Wing-sie, has been scheduled for March 10 at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall.

'We'll be playing Elgar's Violin Concerto. It will be an interesting experience as I haven't played Elgar's with an orchestra,' he said.

Huang's passion for learning more about classical music and improving his performance skills will take him to London next year, to study under renowned violinist Gyorgy Pauk at the Royal Academy of Music.

'It will also be an ideal opportunity for me to explore the European market,' the violinist said.

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