Ning Feng, the violinist on this album, was the first student in the Royal Academy of Music's nearly 200-year history to receive a perfect score (100%) for his Final Recital.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ning Feng believes that Paganini's music, despite its technical difficulty, contains beautiful and enjoyable Italian operatic arias that should not be overlooked.
Instruments
On this recording, Ning Feng plays a 2005 Stefan-Peter Greiner violin, which is on loan to him from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
Performer Biography
Thomas Hoppe, the pianist on this album, was the first recipient of the Samuel Sanders Memorial Award at the Juilliard School of Music.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in January 2007 at the Frits Philipszaal in Eindhoven, using Bruel & Kjaer 4006 and Schoeps MK2 microphones.
Cultural Impact
Paganini's performances inspired other famous composers like Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt, with Schumann deciding to become a composer after hearing Paganini in 1829.
Performer Biography
Ning Feng won the 1st prize at the prestigious 51st Paganini International Violin Competition in Genova, Italy, in September 2006.
