NCPA May Festival 2018, themed “A Feast of Strings”, is running in full swing. On May 18^th, violinist CHEN Xi will join Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra on the NCPA stage.

Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

In 1945, the master of classical music, Karl Münchinger, founded Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, whose exquisite interpretations of Baroque and modern music have, for more than a half century enjoyed a reputation among the international music community and critics as “historically sophisticated in terms of both tempo and tonality, with a magical ability to transport people to the era of the piece.” They will collaborate with CHEN Xi, who has been in the spotlight in recent years. At the age of 17, he took home the prize for violin at the 12^th International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition, making him the youngest competitor to be honoured. The Strad said he is “an extremely brilliant performer with a vibrant personality.” CHEN also demonstrated his wonderful violin skills to the opening of this year’s NCPA May Festival, in concert alongside a fabulous array of violinists. He will make an appearance at the “Classical Arts Lectures” class, and will serve as the “Musical Envoy” at the outreach programme outside the NCPA on May 22^nd, bringing splendid violin sounds to the public at large.

Violinist CHEN Xi

The May 18^th concert repertoire includes four pieces from the Baroque to Romantic periods, which are not only familiar classics, but rarely-heard pieces bequeathed by famous composers. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra will open with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, after which they will accompany CHEN in a performance of a Mendelssohn violin concerto. There are very few recordings of this work, and CHEN’s first contact with it, as well as the first time it is performed in China. According to CHEN, “This work was done by Mendelssohn when he was 13 years old. Although it doesn’t possess the beauty of his concerto in E minor, it demonstrates his natural musical genius and inspiration. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to perform this work and might use it as a go-to piece in future performances.” Additionally, Schubert’s Quartet in C minor and Brahms’ String Quintet in G major will be played as well.

The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra has 17 musicians and 20 instruments, most of which are centuries-old and exquisitely crafted. Most instruments are owned by the performers themselves, but several have been lent to the orchestra from charitable foundations. Among the 20 instruments, five were produced in the 19^th century, the oldest two being a 1724 Stradivarius and 1776 Italian Guarneri. CHEN Xi, the concert’s youngest musician, sponsored by an art collector, Mr. ZHOU, will play the famous 330 year old Guarneri violin, “Sandman,” from 1690.