Virtuoso Vera tries a threesome

• Source: Global Times
• [09:24 August 31 2010]
• Comments

Shanghai-born violinist Vera Tsu. Photo: Courtesy of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

Vera Tsu (Xu Weiling in Chinese) returned to her hometown Shanghai this summer and instead of being a soloist, for which she has won acclaim around the world, she appeared in a piano trio. It was a year ago that she had founded the trio, The China Trio, with pianist Sheng Yuan and cellist Zhu Yibing.

The China Trio were featured at the recent Shanghai Music in the Summer Air Festival (MISA).

"I founded The China Trio with two like-minded musicians to fill a vacancy for professional chamber music in China," Tsu told the Global Times.

She said that although there were some chamber music ensembles, they were usually temporary and were often formed for specific occasions. Other ensembles had been established but could not be sustained.

Chamber music is classical music's most intimate form, originally created for musicians and friends to play in a room. It is now played in concert halls and at major venues but retains its intimate flavor.

Tsu said the lack of regular chamber music performances in China is partly because many soloists emphasize their personal music careers more, afraid of subjugating their individual talent.

"Those who perform chamber music will actually show more of their ability," she said.

Tsu began playing the violin when she was 3 years old and she received a solid foundation in music at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

It was here that the master Isaac Stern discovered her and she appeared in his film From Mao to Mozart along with the legendary Yehudi Menuhin.

Menuhin sponsored Tsu to study in Switzerland and from there she went to the US to graduate later from the Julliard School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, under the guidance of Dorothy Delay and Rafael Bronstein.

In 1984, Tsu made her debut recital at Carnegie Hall, and became the first violinist from the Chinese mainland to have appeared as a soloist at both Carnegie Hall and the Avery Fisher Hall.

From 1993 to 2000, she was the first associate concertmaster of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, Tsu has been the Professor of Violin of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Tsu was a jury member at the First International Violin Competition Buenos Aires 2010 in July - she has now served on several juries for major competitions.

She is proudest at being invited to join the jury of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels in 2009 and again in 2012 - it is one of the leading music contests in the world.

Tsu has made her name as a soloist and appeared with major orchestras including the New York City Symphony, the London Chamber Players, the Budapest Radio Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra.

Her recording of the Korngold and Goldmark violin concertos won acclaim from music reviewers around the world. "Tsu's performances come near enough to the top of their respective rosters to earn a very high recommendation," said Fanfare Magazine.

The BBC Music Magazine said she "proves a big-toned player with considerable fire … she plays with character, verve and heart."

Tsu said: "Performing in a trio is quite different from being a soloist. It takes more than personal skills and requires more collaboration and compromise. In The China Trio, we are all renowned soloists in our own rights, but our understanding of each other's musical styles and interpretations keep us playing together."

Although she has been playing as a virtuoso for many years, Tsu says she is still improving and has more to perfect.

"For me, the most disturbing problem at present is not the technical difficulties, but the most basic skills that we gain learning violin at the very beginning," she said.

"It's more like a feeling and hard to explain but I enjoy, above anything else, the moment when I can extend a beautiful note and let it breathe. I am lucky to have so many great opportunities - and I took them," Tsu said looking back over her achievements.

She is proud of the variety of roles she has played in music as a teacher, soloist, ensemble performer, jurist and concertmaster. Each of these different roles overlaps the others in some way.

"For example, being on a jury can remind me of the problems I should pay attention to when teaching my students and my solo performances lead to my performing with the trio," she said.

Although the festival has ended, Tsu hopes The China Trio will continue to develop more chamber music fans. Her violin is an inseparable part of her life. "I will play my violin as long as I can."