Su Zhen's Life Experience

Su Zhen was born in 1972. Her hometown Shijiazhuang is the cultural and artistic center of Hebei. Su Zhen lived in the courtyard of Hebei Song and Dance Theatre when she was a child, and she learned a lot about music. In fact, her family is not a musical family. Her parents are cadres of state organs, and no one else in the family has studied music. However, she embarked on the road of music and music, and there was an interesting experience here. Su Zhen had a little friend when he was a child. They play together all day. Suddenly one day, the little friend stopped playing with her. Curious Su Zhen went to observe and found that her little friend crunched into the room to play the violin after school, and the stubborn Su Zhen rushed into her house and sat next to her. So every day, Su Zhen became addicted. She thinks the violin looks strange and really interesting, and the sound it makes is also interesting. So when I got home, I pestered my mother to buy her a violin and insisted on learning the piano with my friends. Her mother could not help her, so she bought her a children's violin. From this day on, she was like her little friend, soaking in the creaking sound after school every day.

Su Zhen's violin teacher is Li Houyi (father of violin prodigy Li Chuanyun). She studied with this teacher for six years. Because of her high understanding and good conditions, she soon reached a fairly high level in playing. 1986, 14-year-old Su Zhen was admitted to the middle school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music, and really entered the hall of professional music.

Su Zhen was admitted to the middle school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music, ranking first in violin major. However, after entering the school, she formed an indissoluble bond with the Viola. At that time, the examiner saw that she was tall and strong (compared with other students) and asked her if she wanted to learn the viola. After discussing with her mother, Su Zhen asked the teacher, is the viola also played with clips? Just pull it with a clip, no problem. Listen to the teacher and make a change. So, she picked up an instrument bigger than the violin and officially became a viola student in the middle school attached to the Conservatory of Music.

Su Zhengang studied under two teachers, Yu Jujiang and Su Jiajun, and then under the famous viola player and educator Mr. Cen. She studied in Mr. Cen's class for six years, spent all her time in the attached middle school here, and basically mastered the techniques and rules of viola playing. 199 1 year, she was recommended to the Orchestral Department of the Central Conservatory of Music with excellent graduation results and started her undergraduate study. During her college years, she was fortunate to be a disciple of two famous teachers, Sui Keqiang and Wang Zhenshan. During the four years in college, Su Zhen was very studious. Her grades soared and she became the top student in the school. 1996 She just graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was hired by the newly established China Symphony Orchestra as the deputy chief of the Viola Department. Su Zhen is also a master of chamber music at school. The women's quartet composed of her and three other girls was very famous at that time. He won the first prize of string quartet in the first China Chamber Music Competition and the special prize of China's works.

I really know Sue because she studied with my teacher, Cen, for some time. At that time, I often heard from Mr. Cen that he had a student named, who was very talented, hardworking and obedient. I also saw her Labatok Concerto with my own eyes in Mr. Cen's class, and I admire her exquisite playing skills. Before she 1996 went abroad to study, I was a music editor at the radio station, and specially recorded a set of viola solo tracks for her, including the first movement of Swan Rotor by Handel, Vioa Concerto in B minor by Handel and Romance by Liu Zhuang. This set of tracks was not only broadcast on the radio as a radio program, but also became the recorded materials that Su Zhen took with him when he went abroad to study. I'm still thinking that Su Zhen has become a world-famous viola expert, and my little actions in those days should be counted as a little contribution to her future success.

The "Female Champion" of the Royal Conservatory of Music

After graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music, Su Zhen came to the China Symphony Orchestra, which was a good ending. She can start from the position of vice president Viola and step by step to a higher peak of her career. But she was bold and opinionated since she was a child, but she was not satisfied with her achievements and status. She turned her eyes to foreign countries, and her strong desire for further study prompted her to make a decision that ultimately changed her destiny. 1At the end of 996, Su Zhen bid farewell to his relatives in his hometown and flew to England alone, starting his career of studying abroad with an uncertain future.

When Su Zhenchu arrived in England, she didn't go to school or work, and anxious Su Zhen almost got sick. She felt that she had to spend all her money to have hope. "How many times can you fight in life?" Throwing caution to the wind, before she left, her family gave her all her savings of nearly100000. She turned all this money into tuition. In order to enter the Royal Conservatory of Music, she attended a class of famous teachers at her own expense. After several months, the money was actually spent. 1September, 1997, Su Zhen, who was all ready, was going to take refuge in the Royal Conservatory of Music, but only after careful understanding did he know that the entrance examination for freshmen had already ended and everyone was about to start school. What should I do? Will half a year's hard work go down the drain? Stubborn Su Zhen is unwilling to give up. She wrote a letter to the then president of the Royal Conservatory of Music with a glimmer of hope, sincerely expressing her strong desire to study, hoping that the president could listen to her performance. Perhaps Su Zhen's stubbornness played a role, perhaps the sincerity of this oriental girl touched God, and the dean actually wrote back to her, expressing his willingness to hold an exam for her alone. On the day of the exam, I took Qin to an ordinary hut in the Conservatory of Music. There are two people sitting behind the desk, the dean and the dean. Dean looked at Su Zhen, only said two words "pull it out", and began to close their eyes and wait. At this time, Su Zhen has forgotten everything. She raised her bow and began to play Bartok's Viola Concerto. After playing a song, the dean whispered to the dean and smiled and said to Su Zhen, "We have decided to admit you and give you a full scholarship." A miracle was born, and Su Zhen, a China girl from the Far East, won an unexpected victory. She finally became a formal student of the Royal Conservatory of Music.

After entering the Royal Conservatory of Music, Su Zhen began to study hard and selflessly. She devoted herself to john wyatt, a world-famous viola professor, and soon made rapid progress in her major. Mr. john wyatt taught her a brand-new concept of playing, which changed her pronunciation qualitatively. The famous teacher also contacted Su Zhen's works as widely as possible, which opened her eyes and made her catch up with the world quickly in playing concepts, playing techniques and mastering literature. Because of Su Zhen's diligence and cleverness, she got an actress diploma from the college in the first year of school. In addition, from 1997 to 1999, she has successively won the prizes of royal academy of music's Walter ·TES, Mosis Loban, Theodore Holland, Hilda Wynn and Wilmore. 1999, she won the rare Dean Award of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Su Zhen 1822 was the first viola player to win this honor since the establishment of the Academy), and at the same time, she won the degree certificate of outstanding students, the postgraduate diploma of performance major and the teacher diploma of the Royal Conservatory of Music, becoming the famous "female champion" of the Academy.

Conquer the European music scene with strength

From 65438 to 0999, Su Zhen graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music with undisputed excellent results and won the Grand Slam award. After graduation, she quickly integrated into the European professional music playing circle. In fact, in recent years, when studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music, she has participated in a wealth of professional performance practice. 1997 visited Japan and China as the principal viola of royal academy of music Philharmonic Orchestra; That year, he also participated in the official performance of the famous London Symphony Orchestra, and was invited as a soloist to attend the 26th International Viola Seminar and gave a solo concert. 1998 participated in the symphony orchestra composed of world-famous performers as the chief viola, and participated in the London International Viola Music Festival and the World Congress of Female Composers as a soloist in the same year; 1999 held a solo concert in the famous St. Martin's Cathedral. After 2000, her professional music career developed more rapidly. This year, she participated in the world-famous Edinburgh Music Festival as a soloist and was hired as a viola soloist by the Danish DET Soloist Chamber Orchestra. More importantly, she was attracted by the British BBC Philharmonic Orchestra this year and served as the deputy chief viola of the orchestra. Su Zhen worked in this position until he returned to China in 2004.

Su Zhen's talent is known to many famous musicians through her performances. Rhian Samuel is a newly created viola (three violas and pianos) by British composer Blyth Wood. It was specially commissioned by Su Zhen to make its world premiere in 1998, while Timothy Bowers is a new work by composer Eli, and also performed by Su Zhen in 1999.

Su Zhen's professional achievements in European music are hard-won, and her personal efforts and bold spirit of adventure are condensed here. In this interview, she told me that working in Britain is much more difficult than studying, because Britain is not an immigrant country, and it is difficult for ordinary people to get a place there. Take joining the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as an example. Only by getting the position of deputy chief can she stay in the orchestra for a long time, and only by staying in the orchestra for a long time can she stay in the UK. For her, it is simply a road to Huashan, but she has achieved success with her own strength and spirit. Having said that, Su Zhen said with emotion: "It seems quite natural now, but it was really a miracle at that time."

I once asked Su Zhen, didn't you have any difficulties in the British orchestra? She opened her eyes wide and shouted at me, "Why is it not difficult? At first, it was difficult everywhere. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is an ancient and famous orchestra. Musicians here have been playing symphonies for generations. When I first joined the band, I felt I didn't fit in anywhere. Especially when changing conductors, I often can't see the beat clearly because I'm unfamiliar with music. Often let the person next to you hit a few times and then look at others. It seems that every piece of music has been played hundreds of times, and I can remember it without looking at the conductor. At this time, I feel that my experience is too shallow and I am nervous. But I have my moments of pride. Every time I play a viola solo, things change. As soon as the music is over, all the musicians will clap their hands and stamp their feet to praise me. At that time, I was so happy Later, after a lot of performance practice, I mastered rich symphony performance experience and became more and more successful in the orchestra. I not only got professional training, improvement and harvest, but also made many musicians friends. "

Now Sue is really a famous person in British music. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra has occupied her seat for a long time, and the Royal Conservatory of Music regards her as the pride of the school. The ARAM Award fully shows the intangible value of her personal influence.

Return to China full of "True Classics".

It has been almost two years since Su Zhen returned to China. At the end of 2003, Su Zhen, whose career is booming abroad, returned to China and held a viola solo concert at the Central Conservatory of Music. I went to the concert. Su Zhen's Brahms Viola Sonata in F minor and Blyth Wood's Samuel Rhine, the second movement, were really great. At that time, I felt that she was not only good at technology, but also had a good voice and became more and more mature in music. The success of the concert was a true report to Su Zhen's alma mater after studying abroad for many years, and her alma mater was very satisfied with her achievements after further study. After the concert, President Wang Cizhao personally talked with Su Zhen, hoping that she would return to work and make a special contribution to the development of her alma mater. The content of this conversation also coincides with Su Zhen's wish, because from the first day of studying abroad, she made up her mind to return to work. By coincidence, a young viola professor who is famous in Europe was born in the Orchestral Department of the Central Conservatory of Music.

Su Zhen officially returned to China in 2004 and has become the backbone of the Viola Teaching and Research Section of the Central Conservatory of Music. She is now taking more than a dozen undergraduates, plus several chamber music classes of the quartet, and she is very busy at work. She pays attention to practical results in teaching, tries to teach students the latest concept of viola performance and broaden their artistic horizons. The students who have studied in her class all say, "Teacher Su's teaching is vivid and natural. She has deep skills, new ideas and strong demonstration ability, and she can really learn real skills under her. "

In addition to daily teaching, Su Zhen has also set up master viola classes in the Central Conservatory of Music and several other brother colleges to teach a wide range of viola knowledge. In 2004, she recorded a large number of viola classics for CCTV Music Channel series, which played a vital role in the promotion and popularization of viola art in China. As a member of the string quartet of the Central Conservatory of Music, she is often active in the music stage of the college, and participated in the first Beijing International Modern Music Festival sponsored by the Central Conservatory of Music in 2004.

Su Zhen also has an important title, that is, the general liaison officer of the Royal Conservatory of Music in China. At present, she is very active in this work. Up to now, she has successfully recommended many graduates of the Conservatory of Music to study in royal academy of music, and invited many world-renowned musicians to give lectures and exchange art in China. Su Zhen is very optimistic about this job. She believes that this cause is of great significance to strengthen the all-round music exchange between China and the world. And she believes that it is the most gratifying thing for her to make use of her identity and status to contribute to this cause.

As I was writing this article, Su Zhen went to England on business again. She is busy running between China and England. It is said that this summer she will hold a master class in Cincinnati, USA, and a recital will be held at that time. Su Zhen, active in the world, has completely diluted the image of a little girl in my mind. Now she is a mature performer, professor and music activist. However, no matter how she changes, one thing will never change, that is, her simple and straightforward personality and kind-hearted personality.