Grad student enjoys best birthday ever
Violinist earns 3 top awards and a coveted orchestra position

BY LIN FISH
Special to Rice News

For violinist Ying Fu, the surprise ”gifts” he received for his March 12 birthday were simply wonderful.

Not only did he win three top awards in the Young Texas Artists Music Competition, but also he won a coveted position with the Cleveland Orchestra.

	YING FU

This was Fu’s fourth audition for an orchestral position, and he received the good news at the end of a demanding 10-hour day in which he played three times. ”I was on stage a total of 10 minutes,” he said with a laugh, ”but I endured 10 hours of waiting time.”

Fu had auditioned for orchestras in Chicago, St. Louis and Houston and had not continued past the first round. ”My teachers at Rice encouraged me to keep trying. They said many great musicians were selected after 30 or 35 auditions,” he said.

While many orchestra auditions last several days, Cleveland is known for its grueling one-day auditions. Fu signed in at 10 a.m., played around 12:30 and again at 4:30 for the second round. His third and final turn came around 7:30 p.m., and the exciting results were announced later that evening.

An international doctoral candidate, Fu anticipates receiving a work visa and beginning with the orchestra in the fall.

Fu plans to become an educator and a performer, learning more of the varied skills needed for orchestra, chamber music and solo performance. ”In the orchestra, there is more blending with, following and being aware of other musicians. To be a soloist, one must have strong character, yet the ability to cooperate with others,” he said.

The Young Texas Artists Music Competition may not have been as arduous as the Cleveland audition, but the outcome was equally wonderful for Fu. He won the ”triple crown” of the competition by earning awards for best strings, audience favorite and the grand prize, the award for overall best performer.

Which was more meaningful to him? Not the top award, but rather the audience favorite. ”I go to competitions because they offer a chance to play for people,” he explained. ”I need the stage and for people to hear me play so that I can establish a reputation for the music I play.”

His earlier training in Shanghai taught Fu technical skill with the violin, he said, ”but Rice was the most important place for me to study, to learn that music is more than technique.” For that, he credits the Shepherd School of Music faculty, particularly the late Sergiu Luca. ”He encouraged me to understand why I play a piece and how to place it in the context of the period in which it was composed.

”Mr. Luca helped me understand that the composer must have had a reason to put down those notes. When I really understand what the composer means, I learn the music more quickly,” he said.

Others who have helped mold the young violinist include his current private teacher, Cho-Liang Lin, as well as Shepherd faculty members Larry Rachleff, Brian Connelly, Cristian Măcelaru and Eric Halen. Support and encouragement by his wife, Lihua Fang, also contribute to his success, he said.