Event
Zhu Plays Paganini
Naples Philharmonic Sypert Salon Chamber Music
Kevin Zhu, violin
Paganini — 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1
Violinist Kevin Zhu captured the world’s attention in 2012 when he won first prize at the Menuhin Competition at age 11. Since then, he has been recognized for his remarkable delicacy, wild intensity and shining musical fluency, whether performing as a recitalist or chamber musician. In this program, Zhu takes on one of the most formidable challenges in the violin repertoire, performing Paganini’s 24 Caprices for solo violin. Long regarded as a benchmark of technical mastery, the work demands extreme precision, while balancing dazzling virtuosity with vast breadth of expression.
The Sypert Salon Series is generously sponsored by Drs. George Sypert and Joy Arpin.
Kevin Zhu
Kevin Zhu
American violinist Kevin Zhu gained worldwide attention at age 11, taking first prize at the 2012 Menuhin Competition and, six years later, first prize at the Paganini Competition in Italy. His career has since taken him to renowned concert halls across the globe, ranging from the Konzerthaus Berlin and London’s Royal Festival Hall to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the Esplanade in Singapore and Bozar Brussels.
A recipient of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Zhu is praised for both “infinite delicacy” and “wild intensity” (RTBF Belgium), his playing acclaimed for “absolute virtuosity, almost blinding in its incredible purity” (L’ape musicale) and also “soul, character, an inner life, with meticulousness and a great deal of sensitivity” (Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten).
Recently, he has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Dresdner Festspielorchester and Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as recital appearances across the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, China and South Korea. Further highlights include concerto appearances in Paris and Madrid and the world premiere of a new violin concerto by French composer Hugues Reiner. He performs on the c1700 “ex-Petri” Antonio Stradivari violin, on loan from the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.
