Kun Hu
China, °1963
Hu Kun, a child protégé, started to study the violin with his father Prof at the age of six. In 1976 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 at the China Central Radio Symphony Orchestra and China National Science Defence Committee Artist Company. He then began to study with Prof. Lin Yiao Ji.
During this time he toured all over China with the Company, also winning The Exceptional Solo Performer Prize at the National Military Artist Company Award in Beijing, 1977.
In 1979 (16yr) after he won both the Northern Section and the National Selective Competition for the Sibelius International Violin Competition, he was welcomed back to China as a national hero when he took the Fifth Prize at the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki in 1980. He became the first person ever who won an international violin competition prize in Chinese music history. Since then, he has gained media coverage all over the country, on major television and radio programs, in some documentary films. He performed for the state's guests, including President Reagan in 1983. He was awarded a Secondary Military Medal and was promoted to Battalion Commander at the age of 18. He was also given an exceptional statue by the Culture Minister to enter the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing to continue his study with Prof. Lin Yiao Ji. HU Kun then graduated in 1984 as one of the two Exceptional Graduates of the year from the Beijing Conservatory.
The same year, he was sent by Chinese government to study at the Menuhin Academy with Alberto Lysy in Gstaad, Switzerland, and a few months latter he became the fourth prize winner and the TV and Radio public prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Three months later he won the 1st Prize of the Menuhin Competition in Paris with the title “Grand Laureate de la ville de Paris”, which was given by Madame Chirac whom has honoured Kun a French citizenship and invited him to perform at the Hotel de Ville in Paris for her friends. By then he was invited by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to London, became his protégé and his only private student. The teacher and student played all over the world together, as well as making several CDs, appearing on the interviews together.
By now HU Kun has played with leading orchestras (Royal Philharmonic, Orchestra de Paris, Berlin Radio, Leipizig Radio, BBC Orchestras, Moscow States, China National Symphony…), and conductors (Otaka, Menuhin, Akiyama, Atzmon…), in major venues (London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Vienna, Tokyo, Leipzig, Moscow, Toronto, Beijing, Brisbane,Cape Town, Dresden, Zurich …), Festivals (Vienna, Menuhin, Gidon Kremer, Montpellier, Kuhmo, Dartington, Harrogate, Edinburgh,…) on live TV and radio (BBC, FR3, Rundfunk Berlin, Leipzig, Chicago, WFMT, Classic New York, NHK…).
He has continuoud winning international prizes (Francescatti, Lipizer, Palm Beach…) and 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. He made a debut tour with the Asian Youth Orchestra and the China National Symphony Orchestra. Kun has also introduced the Chinese Violin Music to the western audience as well as releasing a critic acclaimed CD on ASV label in 1999.
HU Kun has made recordings with Nimbus, EMI, ASV,Chamber Sound, China Records, including music from Barber, Sibelius, Katchaturian, Prokofiev, Vivaldi, Bach, Bernstein, Hoddinott, Wieniawski, Saint-Saens and Chinese Violin Music.
HU Kun is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His Academy students have won many international competition prizes. He has recently been awarded by the Duchess of Gloucester as an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music. In 2011, he has been appointed Chairman of the Jury at the China International Violin Competition Qingdao 2011.
During this time he toured all over China with the Company, also winning The Exceptional Solo Performer Prize at the National Military Artist Company Award in Beijing, 1977.
In 1979 (16yr) after he won both the Northern Section and the National Selective Competition for the Sibelius International Violin Competition, he was welcomed back to China as a national hero when he took the Fifth Prize at the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki in 1980. He became the first person ever who won an international violin competition prize in Chinese music history. Since then, he has gained media coverage all over the country, on major television and radio programs, in some documentary films. He performed for the state's guests, including President Reagan in 1983. He was awarded a Secondary Military Medal and was promoted to Battalion Commander at the age of 18. He was also given an exceptional statue by the Culture Minister to enter the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing to continue his study with Prof. Lin Yiao Ji. HU Kun then graduated in 1984 as one of the two Exceptional Graduates of the year from the Beijing Conservatory.
The same year, he was sent by Chinese government to study at the Menuhin Academy with Alberto Lysy in Gstaad, Switzerland, and a few months latter he became the fourth prize winner and the TV and Radio public prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Three months later he won the 1st Prize of the Menuhin Competition in Paris with the title “Grand Laureate de la ville de Paris”, which was given by Madame Chirac whom has honoured Kun a French citizenship and invited him to perform at the Hotel de Ville in Paris for her friends. By then he was invited by Lord Yehudi Menuhin to London, became his protégé and his only private student. The teacher and student played all over the world together, as well as making several CDs, appearing on the interviews together.
By now HU Kun has played with leading orchestras (Royal Philharmonic, Orchestra de Paris, Berlin Radio, Leipizig Radio, BBC Orchestras, Moscow States, China National Symphony…), and conductors (Otaka, Menuhin, Akiyama, Atzmon…), in major venues (London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Vienna, Tokyo, Leipzig, Moscow, Toronto, Beijing, Brisbane,Cape Town, Dresden, Zurich …), Festivals (Vienna, Menuhin, Gidon Kremer, Montpellier, Kuhmo, Dartington, Harrogate, Edinburgh,…) on live TV and radio (BBC, FR3, Rundfunk Berlin, Leipzig, Chicago, WFMT, Classic New York, NHK…).
He has continuoud winning international prizes (Francescatti, Lipizer, Palm Beach…) and 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. He made a debut tour with the Asian Youth Orchestra and the China National Symphony Orchestra. Kun has also introduced the Chinese Violin Music to the western audience as well as releasing a critic acclaimed CD on ASV label in 1999.
HU Kun has made recordings with Nimbus, EMI, ASV,Chamber Sound, China Records, including music from Barber, Sibelius, Katchaturian, Prokofiev, Vivaldi, Bach, Bernstein, Hoddinott, Wieniawski, Saint-Saens and Chinese Violin Music.
HU Kun is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His Academy students have won many international competition prizes. He has recently been awarded by the Duchess of Gloucester as an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music. In 2011, he has been appointed Chairman of the Jury at the China International Violin Competition Qingdao 2011.
