Lin Yaoji, professor of the Central Conservatory of Music, is an internationally renowned violin educator and a disciple of Mr. Ma Sicong, the first generation violin master in China.
Originally from Taishan, Guangdong Province, Lin Yaoji was born in Guangzhou on May 19, 1937, the son of a overseas Chinese in the United States who loved fine arts. He began to learn the violin at the age of 13 and entered the junor class of the Central Conservatory of Music in 1952, where he studied under the famous violinist Ma Sicong, president of the Central Conservatory of Music. and graduated in 1954. In 1960, he graduated with distinction from the Central Conservatory of Music, and in the same year was selected by the state to participate in the second International Tchaikovsky Violin Competition. During his time in former Soviet Union, Lin Yaoji was appreciated by the world famous violin educator Yankelevich. In order to have a greater development in art, the young Lin Yaoji resolutely gave up the competition and stayed at the Moscow Conservatory to study the art and teaching of violin playing with the master. Professor Yankelevich has predicted that Mr. Lin Yaoji will make great contributions to the cause of violin education in China. The life of two-year study abroad has greatly benefited Lin Yaoji in the aspects of violin playing method, teaching method and artistic accomplishment, which has laid a solid foundation for his future violin education career.
In September 1962, Lin Yaoji returned from Moscow to the Central Conservatory of Music and began his career in violin education. He strives to study and apply the ancient Chinese philosophy, and attemps to stand on the height of human history, the natural world and social life, and solve the psychological, physiological and physical problems that students have in violin playing skills as soon as possible. With his special teaching methods, Hu Kun won the fifth place in the fourth Sibelius International Violin Competition in November 1980, achieving the breakthrough of "zero" for Chinese violinists to participate in international competitions. Hu Kun then won the fourth prize at the Elisabeth International Violin Competition in Brussels, the first prize at the Menuin International Violin Competition in Paris, the first prize at the Francescatti International Violin Competition, and the first prize at the Lipizer International Violin Competition in Italy.
In 1986, Xue Wei won the second prize at the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition and the first prize at the Karl-Fleisch International Violin Competition. He has also cultivated a large number of outstanding young violinists such as Chen Yun, Jia Hongguang, Chai Liang, Guo Chang, Xu Weiling, Zhang Ti, Xie Nan, Xu Yinlai, Gu Wenlei, Lu Weizhong, Liu Yang, Tong Weidong, Li Chuanyun, Lu Wei Liu,Xiao, Chen Xi, Dong Kun, Lu Lu, Yang Xiaoyu, Chen Yi, Xie Haoming, Lao Li and so on. They have won awards in major international violin competitions held in Finland, Belgium, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, Japan, the United States, Italy and other countries, winning more than 40 prizes, including more than 10 champion gold MEDALS. Professor Lin Yaoji is therefore known as "mining master, champion professor" by his Chinese peers, highly praised by the domestic and international music circle, known as "a great violin educator".
Using a unique educational method full of dialectics and philosophy, Lam also educated and cultivated Li Chuanyun, an 11-year-old student from Hong Kong who won the gold medal at the 5th Wieniawski International Youth Violin Competition held in Poland. Subsequently, Li Chuanyun and Yang Tianwa, a 13-year-old female prodigy in Beijing, each spent just over half a year challenging human's physiological skills, physical strength, endurance thinking, skills and musical performance to withstand the limits. He successfully performed Italian composer Paganini's "24 Capriccio", which is known as the touchstone of violin performance, at the "Challenge to the Extreme Concert" held in Hong Kong and Beijing, and released it on CD at Hugo Records in Hong Kong. This is indeed the only one in China and rare in the world, and it is also the most scientific success of Lin Yaoji's Lin's pedagogical principle.
His students, Hu Kun and Xue Wei, teach at the Royal Academy of Music, Menuhin School of Music, Central Conservatory of Music; Chai Liang has taught at the world famous Juilliard School of Music, as an assistant to Professor Dorothea Delay, the world authority on violin teaching, and now teaches at the Central Conservatory of Music. Student Lu Weizhong teaches at the Menuhin Music School in Switzerland. Prof. Lin is frequently invited as a jury member of major international violin competitions, including:
1985 Jury of the 3rd Yugoslav International Competition;
1986 Jury Member of the 8th International Tchaikovsky Music Competition;
1988 Jury of the 11th Karl-Flesch International Competition;
1989 Jury of the 4th Yugoslavia International Competition and the 3rd Japan International Competition;
1991, Jury of the 5th Poland Wieniawski International Violin Competition, Germany Spoor International Violin Competition jury;
1992, Judge of the 11th International Competition in Lipicia, Italy;
1996 Jury of Paris Thibault International Competition jury;
1997 Judge of the 2nd Korea International Competition in Seoul;
1998 Jury of Concerto Competition of Taiwan Province, China in 1998;
1999 Jury of Singapore National Competition;
2000 Jury of the 8th Wieniawski Youth Competition in Poland;
2005 and 2008 Chairman of the jury of the 1st and 2nd China International Violin Competition (Qingdao).
Professor Lin has been invited to give violin master classes in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as in the United States, the United Kingdom, Korea, Iceland, Singapore, Australia, Italy and other countries.
His book "Lin Yaoji Violin Lectures" describes his teaching and research, and four publicly published VCD violin tutorials explain how to play Kayser, Mazas, Dont and Kreutzer, all with teaching demonstrations by his students. There are many books and articles on violin playing and teaching that discuss and introduce his scientific and artistic teaching methods.
For his outstanding contributions to violin education in China, Professor Lin Yaoji won the national special prize for outstanding teaching achievements in 1989, and was awarded the title of young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Personnel in 1990. He was a member of the Committee of the Karl-Fleisch International Violin Competition and a member of the 8th, 9th and 10th CPPCC National Committee. He was also a member of the China International Cultural Exchange Center, honorary Chairman of the Global String Lovers Association of the United States, deputy director of the Performing Arts Committee of the Chinese Musicians Association, and head of the Violin Teaching and Research Department of the Orchestra Department of the Central Conservatory of Music.
