The story of 31-year-old violin sensation Huang Mengla begins with his parents' dreams. When they were doctors in rural Shanghai, their son offered their only hope for getting the hukou (household registration) that would allow them to return to the city. The family could live downtown if he was enrolled in the Shanghai Conservatory. So the 4-year-old was sent to violin lessons until he was admitted to the conservatory at age 8.
"They always wanted me to make violin playing my career, not just a hobby," Huang says.
"It's a familiar story of the high expectation an entire generation of Chinese parents has for their only children."
But the realization of his parents' dreams has gone far beyond enabling the family to move back into the city. His unique techniques and innovative interpretations have earned him acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America.
He took the top prize at the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition in Italy, where he also won the Renato De Barbieri Memorial award for the best interpretation of Paganini's caprices, and the Mario Ruminelli Memorial award.
As one of the most successful young Chinese violinists, Huang has been selling out solo performances around the world, luring throngs to outdoor concerts and topping classical sales charts with his albums.
But Huang says his story isn't like those of many athletic and artistic prodigies. "I was a very naughty young boy. My parents even thought I might have attention deficit disorder," he says, laughing.
He had to spend hours to be able to play a song accurately, and his father would sometimes spank him to instill discipline. "The violin was just an instrument to me," Huang recalls.
"I didn't know why I was playing it and had no feeling for the sound of the strings."
No comments:
Post a Comment