Ning Feng’s roots are firmly in China. Born in Chengdu, Feng studied at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. Despite being an international artist he still speaks reverently of his former teachers especially Youxin Wen, Weimin Hu, and Hu Kun. The latter he met at the Royal Academy in London, while prior to that he studied with Antje Weithas at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin.

Feng is also the recipient of several prizes including such prestigious competitions as the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition and the International Paganini Competition. He is very much in demand by some of the world’s top orchestras, as well as a chamber musician. He is a musician of indefatigable energy whose performances have won him critical acclaim for their emotional depth as well as technical polish.

It is, thus, rather surprising to hear Feng talk so casually about his career as a musician. It is not that he takes his talent for granted. On the contrary he is acutely aware of the responsibility and hard work his profession requires. It is more the simplicity of his approach that is so wonderfully refreshing.

Feng performs on a 1721 Stradivarius violin, nicknamed the Macmillan Stradivarius. The name refers to the surname of one of its previous owners, an early 20th-century British violinist who was its longest standing owner.

Playing on a Strad is a huge responsibility. “On the one hand, playing these violins preserves their sound quality, but on the other, it subjects them to wear and tear from human handling,” he admits.

“Being a performing musician is almost like being an actor. Naturally every actor and actress is more comfortable with certain roles, but I think that a good actor or actress would try their best and aspire to be succeed at every role.”

Feng is clearly at ease with his many different roles, from the great violin concertos all the way to tango.

First, I serve the composers by bringing their music to life and then I serve the audience

Feng is also an advocate for contemporary music, and feels we should be more encouraging and attentive to it. He cites Bizet’s opera Carmen as a parable on how recognition and appreciation can come tragically late for a composer.

“Carmen has become one of the most popular operas ever, yet when it was first premiered, it was very badly received.  You could say that this piece partially cost Bizet his life, because he put so much effort and energy into it.”

So, if he weren’t a violinist what would he be? “A chef or a photographer,” he quips. Feng regards both fields as very much related to being a performer. In both cases, one has to appeal to people’s finer senses and offer them something they can enjoy.

This philosophy is precisely what I referred to earlier as “simplicity of approach”. However, the end result is far from being superficial or simplistic. His performances and recordings contain great emotional depth. We were lucky enough to witness this live when he performed in Malta a few weeks ago, in a charity recital at Mediterranean Conference Centre in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

This approach is quite common with East Asian performers (Lang Lang and Mitsuko Uchida come to mind when it comes to intense, yet effortless, performances). I am curious to understand why and how there are so many brilliant classical performers in a culture where this music is a relatively recent alien import.

“I come from Sichuan Province in China, the only natural habitat for wild pandas in the world. As a child, I often went on school trips and outings where I saw pandas, so I have stood in front of a panda so many times, yet I have never taken a photo of one.”

Feng believes that very often we take for granted things we are familiar with. Since classical music is an ‘alien’ tradition, Asian students tend to work harder at it or, as Feng explains “they just don’t have this panda”. so they appreciate it more and are willing to sacrifice more for it.

“I always see myself as a servant whose role is to serve music.” says Feng. “First, I serve the composers by bringing their music to life and then I serve the audience. Their appreciation is what gives my job its worth.”

The concert was organised by the China Culture Centre.