Debra Li

IF a musician’s value can be judged by the price of his instrument, violinist Lu Siqing is worth US$6 million.

Lu plays a US$6 million 1742 Guarneri violin, which was loaned to him by the Stradivari Society five years ago, and will be using it during his concert at the newly opened Shenzhen Concert Hall on Saturday night.

Accompanied by pianist Sheng Yuan, the program will include sonatas by Saint-Saens and Paganini, as well as pieces familiar to the Chinese ear like “Butterfly Lovers” (“Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai”).

Lu, who will become the first violin soloist to perform at the hall, said the variety of music pieces in the program would help the audience better understand him, and also draw more people into the concert hall.

“Music exhorts people to experience more profound things in life, to cherish life and to enjoy it. I believe there should be an enjoyable way to let music come into our life,” Lu said.

Although he has performed in Shenzhen many times previously, Lu is looking forward to his debut in the new concert hall.

“I checked on the Internet and found that the new concert hall is unique in structure. It resembles a harp. A well-designed concert hall, like the Golden Hall in Vienna and the Santori Hall in Tokyo, can always inspire a musician. I feel honored to be chosen as the first violin soloist to perform at the new concert hall,” he said.

Lu, who in 1987 became the first Asian violinist to win the gold medal at the Paganini Competition, has a fantastically smooth and controlled bow arm, and his tone is rich and lyrical. He has introduced “Butterfly Lovers” to the West and brought Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” to Chinese audiences.

A prodigy who started at the early age of 4, he has spent long years perfecting his violin technique.

“Learning to play the violin is a daunting task. You should not rely on your interest. Persistence is another important factor. I practiced a lot when I was very young,” he said.

Lu said he wanted his son to learn the violin in the same way that he did.

Currently a resident of New York City, Lu has spent a lot of time in China in recent years.

“Performing around the world is not enough, I need more time to stay in my home country and do something for cross-cultural communication,” he said.