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HU Kun,
a child prodigy
born
into a musical family. He started to
learn the violin with his father Prof. HU Wei Min
at age of three, then went on the stage accompanied by his
mother Prof. Pen Shi Jun
on the piano when he was seven.
Kun started to win major prizes in his home town Chengdu for his school during
the Cultural Revolution. In 1976 at age of 13, he went to Beijing and played the Paganini D major Concerto which brought
him a nickname over night “The little genius from Sichuan”. He was immediately
offered a soloist post by the China Central Radio Symphony Orchestra and
China
National Science Defense Committee Artists Company in which the later post
became available politically. He then began to
study with
Prof. Lin Yao Ji.
During this time he toured all over China with the Company, also winning
The
Exceptional Solo Performer Prize at the National Military Artists Company Award
in Beijing, 1977.
Two years later he won both the Northern Section and the National Selective
Competition for the Sibelius International Violin Competition, he was welcomed
back to China as an national hero when he took the
Fifth Prize at the
Sibelius
Violin Competition in Helsinki in 1980, became the
first person ever won an international violin competition prize in
the
Chinese music history. Since then, he
won the media front
coverage
all over the country,
on major television and radio
programs, also a documentary film " The First Winner " has been released about
him in China, performed
for the state's guest US President Ronald Reagan in 1984. He was awarded a
Secondary Military Medal
,
was promoted to Battalion Commander at the age of
18. He was also given an exceptional status by the Culture Minister to enter
the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing to continue his study with Prof.
Lin Yiao Ji. He has also studied conducting with Prof. Xu Xin during this time. HU Kun then graduated
as one of only two Exceptional Graduates of the Year from the Beijing Central
Conservatory of Music 1984.
The same year, he was sent by the Chinese government to
study at the Menuhin
Academy with Alberto Lysy in Gstaad, Switzerland.
He
became the fourth prize winner and the
TV/Radio Public 1st prize winner of the prestige Queen
Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in May 85. Three months latter he won the
1st Prize (plus four category prizes) of the Menuhin Competition in Paris with
the title “Grand Laureate de la ville de Paris” given by
Madame Chirac
whom invited Kun to perform at the
Hotel de Ville in Paris
specially for her friends,
such as Madame George Pompidou... then Kun was
invited by
Lord. Yehudi
Menuhin to London became his protégé and only
private student . The teacher
and student
played
all over the world together, as well as
making several CDs,
appearing on the
TV/radio interviews together.
HU Kun has played with world ’s leading orchestras(Royal Philharmonic,
Orchestra de
Paris,
Berlin
Radio, Leipzig Radio, BBC Orchestras,
Moscow States, China National Symphony and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra…), and conductors(Otaka, Menuhin, Akiyama, Atzmon…),in major venues (London,
New York,
Chicago,
Paris, Berlin,
Leipzig, Dresden, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna, Tokyo, Prague, Moscow/St.Petersburg,
Toronto, Beijing/Shanghai, Brisban, Cape
Town, Zurich …), festivals(Vienna,
Menuhin, Gidon Kremer, Bayreuth, Montpellier, Kuhmo, Flanders&Wallonie, Dartington,
Harrogate, Eddinbourgh…),on live TV and radio(BBC, FR3, Rundfunk Berlin&Leipzig, ChicagoWFMT, Classic New York,
NHK, CCTV…). He has continuously winning countless
international prizes (Sibelius, Queen Elisabeth, Menuhin, Francescatti,
Lipizer, Palm Beach…). Giving world premiere
performances (Ronald Stevenson Concerto which was dedicated to Lord. Yehudi in
memory of Georges Enesco for BBC3), recordings (Hoddinott’s Poem for Nimbus),
as well as making Chinese premiere of Elgar Violin Concerto with the National
Symphony Orchestra of China
conducted by Lord. Menuhin with CCTV
broadcasting. Making debut tour with Asian Youth Orchestra/Menuhin and the China National Symphony Orchestra. He has successfully performed
Paganini 24
Caprices in London in 98. Kun has also introduced the Chinese Violin Music to
the western audience as well as releasing a critic acclaimed
CD on ASV label in
99.
HU Kun has recorded with
Nimbus(exclusive),
EMI,
ASV,
Chamber Sound,
China Records,
including music from Barber, Sibelius, Katchaturian, Prokofiev, Vivaldi, Bach,
Bernstein, Hoddinott, Wieniawski, Saint-Saens and Chinese Violin Music. He performed a sell-out concert at the
Lincoln Centre New York in 2002
which was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Queen Elisabeth Competition
of Brussels, made European premiere of Tan Dun’s violin concerto at
the Dresden Festival with the Dresdner Sinfoniker which was recorded by Mid
German Radio and TV. A documentary film
“The Story of HU Kun” has been shown
over 47 countries worldwide by Phoenix CNE Europe in 2003. The CCTV(China
Central Television) has just finished a film ''Musical Life'' about Kun which is
due to release at the end of the year 2010.
Besides Kun’s successful career as a violinist, he has developed great interest in conducting which started accidentally when he had to conduct
his formal teacher Alberto Lysy at the last minute notice in Geneva in 85. He is currently
working with Sir. Colin Davis on some major repertoires. Sir Colin has
not only generously given Kun private lessons, also given
a baton from his
personal collections to Kun after their first meeting. Kun has recently been offered another baton
which belongs to his grand
maestro--Georges Enesco by an old friend of the
great maestro after a conducting concert in London.
HU Kun has launched his
own orchestra---
HU Kun and Friends
in London by conducting the orchestra for a gala
concert in 05 at the Chinese Embassy which was hosted by
His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador
with a great success. He was interviewed by the BBC World Service and
Phoenix TV Europe. He then conducted the
London Schubert Players at the Classicalive
Exhibition at the London Olympia, return
engagements with the London Schubert Players in Nov.2005, a critic acclaimed
concert at the London South Bank Centre in 2006. Kun had a sell-out debut tour in China where he conducted the
Xian Men Philharmonic,
Sichuan,
Shanghai and
Guangzhou Conservatory Symphony
Orchestras in Apr.2006, also made his successful
Beijing conducting debut with the China National Broadcasting & Film
Symphony Orchestra at the
Forbidden City Concert Hall in July 07.
He has been invited to conduct further concert with the orchestra in July 08.
Recent conducting engagements include performing Debussy " La Mer " and
Ravel " La Valse " with Qingdao Symphony at the city's Grand Theatre, Memorial
Concert with the Lin Yaoji Virtuosi at Hongkong Culture Center, Mendelssohn
Octet with 80 strings for the final concert of Greatwall Academy at Beijing
Concert Hall, Enescu Chamber Symphony London debut with London Schubert Players/Enescu
Quartet at King's Place and " HU Kun and
Friends Orchestra " for the inaugural concert of Chinese British Musicians'
Society in London ( Phoenix TV CNE Europe coverage)...Conducting
China Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Opening Concert of Yehudi Menuhin
Competition 2012(National Centre for Performing Arts)...
After hearing the recent Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, he
immediately conducted the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra performed
a charity
concert in Beijing with further donation concerts under planning.
Besides
Kun's exciting performing career, he is also a dedicated professor at the
Royal Academy of Music , aiming to pass on
his unique experience to the younger generation violinists. Apart from his
master classes in world’s top festivals and competitions, he has taught at the Music
School of Indiana University in 99 and Yehudi Menuhin School from 97-2001. In recent
years, Kun has produced many outstanding
international
competition prize winner/concert/recording artists, broke many British
conservatory records.
Kun was awarded by the Duchess of Gloucester as an Honorary Member of the
Royal Academy of Music. He has also been appointed as a
guest Prof. at the Central Conservatory of Music--Beijing, Sichuan
Conservatory--Chengdu and
Xinhai Conservatory--Guangzhou after his master classes tour in China
which includes Shanghai Conservatory 05. He has given master classes/served as a
jury member at the BBC Young Musician of the Year, Lipizer Violin Competition in Italy 2005, Singapore National Violin/Piano Competition
2005 plus Canetti Music
Festival&Competition in Hungary/France/Turkey/Bulgaria, " The Magical little Violin" Competition
and
"Andrea Postacchini" Competition in
Italy, Michael Hill Competition in Auckland, Great Wall Academy in Beijing, Dartington
Summer School in UK 07, Euro Art in Leipzig 08, Rostal Competition in Berlin, Menuhin Competition in Oslo
and International Competition Freiburg in 2009/10.
Kun has just served as the Chairman of the Jury for the 3rd China International
Violin Competition Qingdao which led to break several previous competition
records...
He has introduced the 2012 Menuhin Competition to Beijing, will serving
as
a jury member, also at the Postacchini Violin Competition in Italy 2013...Some
masterclasses have been hold in Dresden, Shanghai, Hong Kong...he has been
appointed as " Oversea Famous Master " by Shanghai Conservatory, will conduct Shanghai
Youth Symphony Orchestra and giving masterclass series for international violin
competitors...violinists
are coming to see him in London from all parts of the world
each year...(Click
here to see the latest updates)
(CV short version)
HU Kun, a legendary violinist, conductor and pedagogue. Been described already
in the 80s as " ...a great artist."---Le Monde, Paris,
“Undoubted power...” ---The Times, London,
"HU Kun...Chinese musicians, especially violinist, are establishing an
increasingly high profile on the Western concert scene.”---The New York Time /
International Herald Tribune. New York,
“One of the most individual string players to burst onto the scene...the finest
of the younger generation of violinist.” ---The Strad, London,
Kun has studied violin with his father Prof. HU Wei Min and Prof. Lin Yao Ji,
piano with his mother Prof. Peng Shi Jun and conducting with Prof. Xu Xin.
Soloist posts were offered to him at the age of 13 by China Radio Symphony. He
was the first mainland Chinese violinist ever established solo career on the
international stage after he won 5th Prize at the Sibelius Violin Competition，at
age 17 in Helsinki 1980, raising Chinese flag on the international violin
competition stage. He has toured around world, became the late Lord. Yehudi
Menuhin's only private student, winning more international competitions and
major recording contracts, performed with world's leading orchestras at the
world's major culture centre...Kun has taking up conducting under the guidance
of Sir. Colin Davis recently, funded his own orchestra HU Kun and Friends in
London.
Kun is currently enjoying his tours as a conductor, give master-class at music
festivals and chairing/serving as jury member at world's major
international competitions. Kun also teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in
London...building bridges for east and west cultural exchanges.
There have been films and TV documentaries about him...HU Kun is a pioneer and
leading figure on the international stage as a Chinese musician. More details at
www.hukun.net
