钢琴家：许忠

　　CCTV.com消息：“无庸置疑，许忠是这一代的佼佼者，他的天赋是绝对的。他的演奏充满着一种摄人心魄的力量。他那辉煌的技巧、无懈可击的控制以及高贵的气质，将使他成为世界乐坛的一颗恒星……”这是数年前意大利《罗马时报》对活跃于国际乐坛的钢琴演奏家、教育家、中国上海国际青年钢琴比赛艺术总监许忠所作的大胆预测。

　　1968年,许忠出生于上海的一个医学世家，3岁半即随著名钢琴教授王羽习琴；11岁时，许忠以第一名的成绩被上海音乐学院附属音乐小学录取，两年后进入附属中学学习。16岁时，应法国“周勤丽基金会”邀请，许忠在与全球百名钢琴才子的角逐中力挫群雄，以第一名的成绩考入法国巴黎国立高等音乐学院大师班，师从法国钢琴大师多米尼克?墨赫莱，成为法国巴黎国民银行资助的全球五位杰出音乐家之一。毕业时荣获巴黎国立高等音乐学院颁发的钢琴最高奖，并获得钢琴博士学位。1988年，还是学生的许忠在高规格的西班牙巴塞罗那第34届玛利亚?卡那尔斯国际钢琴赛中，演绎了贝多芬、李斯特、勃拉姆斯等人的作品，以其精湛的技艺，一举夺得冠军。

　　在走进了高深的艺术殿堂后，许忠越发勤奋，以后频频在世界各地举行音乐会，参加一系列高规格的国际大赛并屡屡获得大奖及殊荣。1991年获日本滨松第一届国际钢琴比赛季军；1992年夺得西班牙桑特丹国际钢琴比赛第一荣誉大奖；在比赛中他受到钢琴巨匠菲利浦?昂特蒙的赏识，并在以后的艺术生涯中得到了他的许多教诲，例如在钢琴演奏的同时兼顾指挥等；1992年获得第五届东京国际钢琴比赛七个奖项中的六个大奖；1994年莫斯科柴可夫斯基国际钢琴比赛中赢得第三名（第一名空缺），《莫斯科日报》因此报道：“如果要说谁是英雄，毫无疑问，许忠应该是这一届比赛的真正英雄！”这些荣誉奠定了许忠在国际乐坛的地位，他以“音乐会职业演奏家”的身份活跃在国际乐坛上，在巴黎、纽约、伦敦、维也纳、柏林、慕尼黑、巴塞罗那、阿姆斯特丹、奥斯陆、莫斯科、东京等世界各主要大城市的音乐厅中，常常见到他的身影。许多世界一流乐团如法国国家乐团、巴黎管弦乐团、莫斯科国家交响乐团、阿姆斯特丹皇家音乐厅乐团、中国爱乐乐团、日本爱乐乐团、东京交响乐团、温哥华交响乐团、休斯顿交响乐团、维也纳室内乐团、以色列室内乐团、荷兰室内乐团等，都与这位年轻的钢琴大师有过很好的合作。同时，他还多次应邀参加了在卢森堡、横滨、维也纳、慕尼黑、亚特兰大等地举行的世界著名音乐节。许忠是极少数几位与世界顶级唱片公司合作录制独奏专集的华裔钢琴演奏家之一。他与日本华纳兄弟公司合作的德彪西专集获得了世界各国音乐评论家的一致高度评价。

　　作为一个华裔钢琴家，许忠融东西方文化为一体。他从中国文化中吸取东方文化精淬，从法兰西文化中接受印象派作品的启迪，他用东西方文化解读德奥与欧洲的音乐语言，因而形成了鲜明的个人风格。许忠的杰出音乐成就得到了世界音乐界的广泛赞誉，他多次受聘于世界著名音乐学院，教授大师班，并在各大国际钢琴比赛中担任评委。2001年7月，他被法国枫丹白露美国音乐学院聘为教授， 2003年5月，他受聘于上海音乐学院，担任客席教授，2004年，受聘于法国尼斯国际音乐学院，担任大师班教授至今。2003年，许忠出任意大利布尔扎诺举行的第54届布索尼国际钢琴比赛评委，成为此项欧洲最古老钢琴比赛中最年轻的评委。2004年，许忠受聘出任在西班牙巴伦西亚举办的国际钢琴比赛评委，又于2005年担任瑞士克拉拉国际钢琴比赛的国际评委。

　　厚积薄发，许忠以一流的艺术表现力、鉴赏力和判断力，成为了一位优秀的艺术活动家，为繁荣艺术事业、促进中西方艺术交流做出了重大贡献：2001年他创办了首届中国上海国际青年钢琴比赛，并担任艺术总监至今，目前该比赛已经逐渐成为世界上最具活力及最具权威的钢琴比赛之一。2002年起至今，他担任中国上海国际艺术节艺术顾问；2003－2005年，他应邀担任中法两国政府互办的“中法文化年”艺术顾问，并担任“法国文化在上海”系列活动艺术总监，该活动也是第六届中国上海国际艺术节最重要的组成部分。他成功地将许多法国优秀剧作介绍到上海，包括2004年度国际舞台上最令人瞩目的剧目之一、由中方与法国巴黎夏特莱剧院共同合作、投资千万的三幕浪漫主义多媒体喜歌剧《游侠骑士》以及作为第六届上海国际艺术节闭幕演出的大型古典芭蕾舞剧《希尔薇娅》。在他的努力下，上海成为《游侠骑士》世界巡演的首站和首次巡演中唯一的中国城市，完成了上海与世界舞台的零时差艺术接触。在许忠出色的创意和成功的运作下，来自法国巴黎歌剧院全明星芭蕾舞团、法国戛纳交响乐团、中央芭蕾舞团、上海爱乐乐团，两国四地顶尖艺术团体在上海的舞台上再现了古典芭蕾《希尔薇娅》的浪漫魅力，再次谱写了中法友谊的佳话。2004年，他与包括国际乐坛顶尖作曲大师之一潘德列茨基、前任巴黎国家歌剧院院长雨果?加尔、萨尔茨堡音乐节艺术总监彼得?鲁彻奇卡、世界钢琴和指挥大师阿什肯纳奇等在内的17位国内外艺术名家，成为令人瞩目的上海艺术新坐标、文化新天地――东方艺术中心的艺术委员会委员，以顾问方式参与东方艺术中心的节目运作和艺术定位，通过指导性的建议进行艺术把关。

　　尽管已是蜚声中外的艺术家，但许忠始终没有忘记要回报养育自己的土地，他热爱祖国，热心公益事业，积极参加各类重要的艺术盛事和公益活动：2000年3月，他成为上海大剧院首位签约的钢琴家，并成立了许忠钢琴工作室，这也是至今上海大剧院的签约艺术家中，唯一以艺术家个人名字命名的工作室；2002年9月18日，他在以申博为主题的《兰色畅想：汉堡―上海之夜2002经典盛演》的重要演出中担任钢琴独奏。特别值得一提的是，在2003年中国抗击非典的非常时期，许忠联络了他的恩师、钢琴巨匠菲利浦?昂特蒙，好友、德国钢琴家塞巴斯蒂安?柯纳尔，师妹、芬兰女钢琴家劳拉?米高共同举办了《五月阳光经典之爱公益音乐会》，用音乐谱写了一曲人类爱与勇气的赞歌。日本音乐基金会举办的全球百位钢琴家大型系列音乐会（1996－2006年），许忠作为著名钢琴大师入选其中，并应邀参加2005年度演出。

　　Xu Zhong Pianist

　　"There is absolutely no doubt that Mr. Xu Zhong is outstanding among his generation. His talent, fantastic skills, incomparable control and elegance will make him a star in the worldwide..."The above was the estimation that Rome Times (Italy) made a few years ago about the distinguished renowned pianist Xu Zhong.

　　Xu Zhong was born into a family of medical researchers in Shanghai in 1968. He began learning to play the piano from Professor Wang Yu in Shanghai Conservatory of Music when he was not yet four years old. After studying in Music elementary and Middle school affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory, invited by Chow Ching-lie Association and with the highest score in the entrance examination among hundreds of young pianists over the world, he was accepted into Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris to study with World- Famous Professor Dominique Merlet, becoming one of the five outstanding musicians in the world financed by Banque Nationale de Paris. On graduation he got The First Prize and Master Degree awarded by Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. In 1988, Xu won The First Prize of The 34th Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona, Spain. After his debut at the international stage, Xu Zhong worked even harder, frequently appeared at the concerts held around the world and was awarded many grand prizes and honors in various international competitions. In 1991, he received The Third Prize at The 1st Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan. In 1992, he was awarded The Grand Honor Prize at The Santander Paloma O'shea International Piano Competition in Spain and won high praise from the world-renowned pianist and conductor Philippe Entremont who later led him into his career both as a pianist and a conductor. In the same year Xu got The First Prize in the 5th Tokyo International Piano Competition and the other five out of totally six grand prizes. In 1994 after winning The Third Prize at The 10th Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow, Moscow Daily wrote, "Xu Zhong had definitely become the greatest winner in The Tchaikovsky International Competition History!" All these prizes brought Xu worldwide fame. In recent years, Xu Zhong has been very active on the concert stages all over the world, touring all the way in Europe, Asia, North and South America. His music has traveled in New York, Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Oslo, Moscow, Tokyo and etc. He has also worked with Orchestra de Paris, Orchestra National de Paris, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, MDR Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Holland Chamber Orchestra and Israel Chamber Orchestra, etc. Xu Zhong is one of the very few Chinese Pianists who has made solo recordings under prestigious labels. The album on Debussy produced by Japan Warner Music and Xu is highly recommended by world music critics.

　　Xu has come to his exclusive performing style, integrating his intense study at the western cultural environment for over 10 years into the profound Chinese culture treasury deeply rooted inner side. He was therefore invited as professor of France Fontaine Bleau School of Fine Arts&Music in July 2001, honored professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music in May 2003, and professor of the master class of Academie Internationale d'Ete de Nice France since 2004. In the year of 2003, Xu was invited as jury member of the 54th Busoni Piano Competition in Bolzano, Italy, as the youngest jury member in the European piano competition with longest history. After that, he was invited as member of the jury of JOSE ITURBI International Piano Competition 2004 in Valencia, Spain and Clara Haskil International Piano Competition 2005, Switzerland.

　　Xu Zhong has become one of the greatest artists in the world and devoted himself to the culture exchanges between the east and west. In 2001, Xu Zhong was nominated to be Artistic Director of China Shanghai International Piano Competition by the Ministry of Culture of People's Republic of China and Shanghai City Government. The competition has gained enormous success world wide because of his sufficient experience in organizing and rigorous working attitude, and highly acclaimed in the domestic and international music aspect. Meanwhile Xu has been working as artistic consultant in the China Shanghai International Arts Festival since 2002, artistic consultant of L'ANNEE DE LA FRANCE EN CHINE 2003/2005 and Artistic Director of "French Culture in Shanghai", one of the most important events of The 6th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, unprecedented introduced various excellent French programs to Shanghai, including the French Opera "Les Paladins" co-produced with Theatre du Chatelet Paris which costs an investment of more than 1 million euros and the classic ballet "Sylvia". Account for Xu's fancy imagination and incomparable leadership quality, Shanghai became the first stop of "Les Paladins" World Tour and its only destination in China. And in the performance of "Sylvia", the all-star ballet from Opera de Paris, Orchestre de Cannes France, National Ballet of China and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra have completed a prosperous united working, demonstrated the immeasurable friendship between China and France. In the year of 2004, together with 17 Chinese and international well-known artists including famous composer Penderecki, former Director of Opera Nationale de Paris Hugo Carl, artistic director of Salzburg Music Festival Peter Ruzicka, prestigious pianist and conductor Ashkenazy, Xu Zhong became member of the Artistic Committee of the Oriental Art Center - the new coordinate and landmark of arts in Shanghai, and got involved in planning, programming, execution and productions.

　　As a world famous artist, Xu Zhong loves his motherland, China and always hold a great passion for grand cultural events and activities for public charity. In March 2000, he became Shanghai Grand Theatre's first and only resident pianist. On the day of September 18th 2002, he performed enthusiastically in the world-scale celebration performance for China Shanghai World Expo 2010-"The Blue Meditation: 2002 Night of Hamburg and Shanghai". In the period of SARS in 2003, Xu even organized a charity concert Sunshine in May - Love from the Classic, which was regarded as an astounding and incredible feat by world critics. Piano maestro Philippe Entremont, German pianist Sebastian Knauer and Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola have performed in the concert with their great affections. And Xu Zhong has just finished his amazing performance in Tokyo for The 100 Pianists Series Concert 1996-2006 organized by Japan Music Foundation in January of 2005.

责编：雍莉