Prof. Long Min
Long Min, born in 1976 in Sichuan, is currently an associate viola professor at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music and the Principal Violist of the Oriental Symphony Orchestra. He started playing music at age 6 and later studied at the middle school/high school division of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Central Conservatory in Beijing in 2000. In the same year, he was awarded a full scholarship to attend Rice University in the United States and later earned his Masters degree there. In 2002, he received a full scholarship from Southern Methodist University where he subsequently garnered an Artist Certificate. His teachers include professor Hu Weimin, Ran Yi,Wang Changhai, Karen Ritscher and Barbara Hutis. While he was in the US, he studied orchestra excerpts with Houston Symphony violists Wei Jiang and Wayne Brooks. He has also received instruction from world-renowned artists Gerard Causse, professor at Paris Conservatory, Wolfram Christ, principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic, and Maestro Kurt Masur.
Mr. Long enjoys performing throughout the world as an orchestral player and leader, a chamber musician, and a soloist. In 1996, as a member of the China Youth Symphony, he toured all around the country including Taiwan. He has shared the stage with the Vienna Philharmonic and the London Royal Conservatory Orchestra, and worked with Seiji Ozawa and Zubin Mehta. While he was in the US, he was invited by the world famous Tanglewood Music Center and performed a series of chamber music concerts there. While studying at Rice University, he was invited to join the Houston Symphony viola section in concert performances. As the principal violist of the Oriental Symphony Orchestra, he has traveled around the world and all over China, performing concerts to large audiences. He was also involved in the Hubei College Classical Music Appreciation Concert Series. In 2006, he was invited by the Canton International Music Festival as principal viola to perform with Charles Dutoit and Marta Argerich in Hong Kong. Other international music events and festivals welcomed him to Schlern International Music Festival , Nanchang International Music Festival ,Qingdao International Music Festival ,Boao International Music Festival . Since 2007, Mr. Long has given many solo recitals and chamber music concerts, collaborating with visiting artists from all around the world.
Mr. Long is also a dedicated and successful teacher. Many of his students have been selected to study abroad in acclaimed music conservatories and some of them have received full scholarships. His students are also frequently selected by some of the biggest music festivals around the world. Mr. Long himself is also a recipient of many awards, including the Best Teacher Award of the Wuhan Conservatory Viola Competition, the 2006 Outstanding New Art Educator Award, and the 2007 China National Viola Congress/Competition Outstanding Instructor Award. He created and organized the first Wuhan Conservatory Viola Mock Audition and the first Viola Orchestra Repertoire Concert. He has also gained recognition for his achievements in theoretical research projects. His completed research projects include “Violin Viola Duets by Mozart,” “Techniques and Styles of Viola Orchestral Excerpts,” and “Studies of Classical String Quartet Repertoire.” Several of his research papers have been published by important regional and national magazines . Mr. Long is currently leading the research on string chamber music for the Wuhan Conservatory Experimental Performing and Teaching Demonstration Center.