Huang Mengla

Huang Mengla is one of the most active and promising young violinists of our time. His brilliant technique and unique interpretations have fascinated audiences throughout Asia, Europe and North America. In 2002, he won the First Prize at the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition in Italy, where he also received the Renato De Barbieri Memorial Award for the best interpretation of Paganini's Caprices and the Mario Ruminelli Memorial Award.

Mengla was born in 1980 in Shanghai and began to study violin at the age of 4. Admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at 8, his rare talent was recognised by Professor Lina Yu, one of the best known Chinese violinists and music educators, with whom he has studied with. In 2005, Mengla received his Master Degree and became the youngest ever faculty member of the renowned conservatory. In 2006, Mengla furthered his studies with Maestro György Pauk at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Mengla has worked with many of the world’s fine orchestras including Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, German National Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyoto Philharmonic Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; and with such conductors as Neeme Järvi, Henrik Schaefer, Muhai Tang, Nicola Luisotti, Ryusuke Numajiri, Thomas Dausgaard, Tovey Bramwell, Chen Xieyang and Zhang Guoyong among others. In Oct 2006, he was invited to perform for the Queen of Denmark in the Fredensborg Palace of Denmark and was highly praised by the Danish Royal Court. April 2007 saw his New York début at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center and Boston début at the Jordan Hall. Other highlights include a tour in Germany and Japan last August. Mengla was also invited to participate in the Grand Opening Concert of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in last December.

In addition to the Paganini prize, Mengla has also received the Gold Medal and Public Prize in the 2001 Sendai International Music Competition in Japan; Best Performance Prize in the 2001 Shanghai Spring International Festival and the Second Prize in the 2000 Lipinsky and Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland.

Mengla is under contract as a recording artist for Universal Music. His début album Violin Showpieces was released in 2005 under the Deutsche Grammophon label. His second recital album Violinissimo on DG has just been released in January 2008.

He plays a Giovanni Paolo Maggini which is generously loaned to him by Mr & Mrs Rin.