2000-2010

“Still a young man, Hu Kun is one of the world's greatest violin virtuosos, a legend in China and a living chapter of music history. He was the first person from mainland China to win a prize at the international violin competition, signalling in the west and indeed around the world that this ancient country possesses a huge reserve of musical talent which the Cultural Revolution did not destroy.

Born in Chengdu, Hu began studying the violin with his distinguished father HU Wei Min at the Sichuan Conservatory and later with Prof. Lin Yao Ji at the Central Conservatory in Beijing. Hu's exceptional talent was discovered by Yehudi Menuhin who became his guiding spirit and a close friend. In an astonishing short period and whilst still a teenager, Hu won prizes in the Sibelius Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Concours in Brussels, the Menuhin Young Violinists Competition and the First Zino Francescatti Competition. He has subsequently performed with many of the world's major orchestras including the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic, the Hallé, the BBC, the Moscow States Symphony, the Leipzig Radio Orchestra.

He has made many recordings with EMI and Nimbus of music by Vivaldi, Bach, Sibelius, Khachaturian, Prokofiev, Barber and Bernstein.

Having been a successful and popular teacher at the Menuhin School for many years, HU Kun was appointed a professor of Violin at the Academy four years ago. He announced his arrival with astonishing feat by playing all 24 Paganini Caprices from memory, with repeats, in a single concert (wow...cheered the crowds!)

As an esteemed and much loved teacher at the Academy, HU Kun has developed one of the greatest studios in the world. In just the past two years, most of his pupils have won prizes in major international competitions, naturally there is a long waiting list to join his class. His genius as a teacher is the supreme of music talents and have done it all himself, the ability to instil similar profits in his own students. I have the pleasure in representing HU Kun for Honorary Membership of Royal Academy of Music."

— Citation from the Royal Academy of Music London (Narrated by BBC presenter John Suchet)