​Zirui Huang
​Life as a Violinist
​The Chinese Violinist
Don Huang, originally from China, began studying violin at the age of four. With a strong dedication to his instrument, he focuses on classical and Romantic repertoire, while also exploring popular music. As a composer, he is especially drawn to R&B and ambient sounds. For Don, music is not only his greatest passion but also his constant source of strength and inspiration.
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He began learning the violin at the age of four under the guidance of Cui Lingling, a
teacher in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. At ten, he moved to Shanghai to study with Li Chang, a graduate student of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Two years later, he continued his training with Wei Yun from the same conservatory, studying with her for four years. At fifteen, he furthered his education in Vienna, Austria, under the tutelage of David Kropfitsch. He has also participated in masterclasses led by renowned musicians such as Elisabeth Kropfitsch, Igor Petrushevski, Tan Liwei, and Wu Yushu.
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In his early years, he won the gold award in a violin competition in Jiangsu Province. At thirteen, he advanced to the national round of the China Youth Violin Concerto Competition held in Qingdao, where he delivered an outstanding performance. At fifteen, he took first prize in the junior high school violin competition in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. Since arriving in Vienna, Austria, he has performed at various prestigious venues, including Theater Akzent, Grand Hotel Wien, Pfarrkirche Gersthof, and the Amadeus International School Vienna. His music evokes the image of an individual walking through a silent alley late at night—an atmosphere tinged with mystery, melancholy, and solitude, yet subtly enveloped in warmth.He strives to shape such an ambiance in performance: one that intertwines contemplation with tenderness, inviting the audience into a reflective and emotionally nuanced journey. Interpretively, he draw upon the structural integrity of the Classical tradition, the expressive intensity of Romanticism, and the introspective tonal palette of contemporary music. His artistic outlook has been shaped by formative training in both China and Austria, allowing me to synthesize Eastern precision with the depth of European musical heritage. This fusion informs a distinctive voice—lyrical yet disciplined, emotionally resonant yet thoughtfully restrained.
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