Hitting the right note

Young musician's mastery of the French horn is attracting worldwide attention, Chen Nan reports.

"Playing the French horn is like dancing on a high wire." That's how 21-year-old Zeng Yun describes his musical instrument, which as he says is "difficult to play and probably the most difficult of all orchestral instruments". Though, he readily admits it does have its rewards. "It's not only about technique but also about a sense of beauty up there."

Zeng, who is in his first year of a master's degree course at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, has achieved a mastery of both in his playing style.

He won first prize and the gold medal in the brass category at the 2019 XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia. This September, he was awarded second prize in the horn category at the 70th ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany. He is the first Chinese French horn player to win both of these prestigious awards.

Now, he is one of the most popular young Chinese musicians, and has performed with the country's top symphony orchestras as a soloist.

In June, he performed with the China NCPA Orchestra, the resident orchestra of the National Center for the Performing Arts, under the baton of conductor Lin Daye, in Beijing, performing Mozart's Horn Concerto No 4 in E Flat Major, K 495.The concert was streamed online on Nov 6.

On Saturday, Zeng was scheduled to perform with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Li Biao, playing Richard Strauss' Horn Concerto No 1 in E Flat Major, Op 11 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall, but due to COVID-19, the concert was canceled.