Lifelong discipline has Lin in top form

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

For Cho-Liang Lin, 44, the inkling to become a violinist came early in life: He picked up a violin at age 5. The world-renowned Taiwanese-American performs with the Honolulu Symphony today and Sunday. Honolulu Symphony Cho-Liang Lin Performing with the Honolulu Symphony in the first Halekulani MasterWorks concert 8 p.m. today, 4 p.m. Sunday Blaisdell Concert Hall $26-$69 792-2000 Also: Maestro Samuel Wong conducts the orchestra; Concert Conversations precede each concert an hour before curtain, open free to ticketholders

Practice often.

Practice some more.

That's sage advice from world-renowned Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang Lin, 44, who's been there, done that.

"Playing the violin is unnatural," said Lin, who picked up a violin at age 5, started fiddling around seriously at 12, and performed the Tchaikovsky concert with the Berlin Philharmonic at 18. He will be the first guest soloist of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra 2004-05 MasterWorks season, which launches tonight and Sunday at Blaisdell Concert Hall. He'll perform Leonard Bernstein's "Serenade."

Lin was speaking by phone from his New York home and referring to the strain on the human body when one puts the violin in place on one shoulder with bow in hand — something he's been doing professionally for 25 years.

"You're fighting against gravity," he explained about the rigors of performance and requisite practice sessions. There's also the risk of an occupational hazard — carpal tunnel syndrome.

"Your right arm is supposed to swing back and forth; the violin requires that it's placed much more forward," Lin said. "All things considered, unless you start young so your body can adapt to it, you're prone to (carpal tunnel pains)."

He's managed to escape the agony of carpal ailments that are common among less-seasoned musicians "because I started young and learned how to do it (without pain)."

He chuckled about his ability to avoid chronic wrist, elbow or shoulder ailments. "Maybe I don't practice hard enough," Lin said.

Lin is part of a longstanding tradition of Asian prodigies who have emerged, sustained careers and have put a lasting imprint on the classical music scene.

"To me, one has to start young, especially if you're talking about string instruments and piano. All my colleagues started young; Isaac Stern was 8 when he started, and that's late," he said.

As a kid, he didn't mind the rigorous discipline and the countless hours of rehearsals.

"No kid says practice is a joy, but certainly for me, it wasn't a chore," Lin said. "As an adult, one learns to live with practice. What's important to know is that practice is part of the process in which we make music. You have to be ready to go; you can't let it lie.

"I liken this discipline to athletics; I don't think a top athlete can expect to win a tennis match or a 100-yard sprint without practice. The simple truth is you have to stay in shape.

"First of all, you have to consider the environment — prosperity means a stable environment; a keen family environment is a key, too. But there needs to be some intellectual presence in the household, plus a good infrastructure, like a good conservatory. Finally, there must be economic power so these musicians can develop a career. It's really difficult to attain all these ingredients," Lin said.

Then again, he said, "with well over 1 billion people in Asia, it's not surprising that the tallest player in the NBA is Chinese and that there are scores of top pianists and violinists from China and Taiwan. There's an enormous pool of talent."

The inkling to become a violinist came early in his life — and simply.

"My next-door neighbor played violin," he recalled. "As a little kid, I wanted to play, too. Thank goodness it wasn't a tuba."

Lin is totally committed to his career, learning while doing. As he said: "I find everything real important in the career. When I grew up, when every musician goes through the playing process, I was not taught to cope with other aspects of a concert life. I had to learn firsthand; and now, I enjoy all aspects. I teach at Juilliard, I record, I give performances. I'm constantly reminded that just playing the violin doesn't do it anymore."

And he has realized, too, the gift of giving something back. "I wanted to bring something really tangible to my home country," Lin said. "So I founded the Taipei International Music Festival (in 1997), with the initial idea of bringing top-notch musicians that you basically find playing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and other top halls.

"After three different festivals (also in 2000 and 2003), I realize I have to do more, like bringing back musicians not only to perform, but to have them teach, since there's a pool of young talent eager to learn through master classes. It's this kind of connection that impacts on the next generation of talent in a very direct way."

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.