meet your
Musicians
Rui Du
Acting Assistant
Concertmaster
As a six-year-old boy in China, Rui’s
mother gave him a violin, but was never
pushy about his practice. Instead, he
came to love the instrument in his own
way thanks to a gifted teacher in middle
school. Winning the Grand Prix at
the 2006 Canetti International Violin
Competition in France changed Du’s life,
putting him at the forefront of international concert halls. Today, he’s privileged
to play a 1750 Nicola Gagliano violin (on
loan from a sponsor), which he describes
as “bright and noble … able to produce all
the nuances that I demand immediately.”
At home, Du’s virtuosity is displayed
in the kitchen, where he creates authentic
Chinese dishes and creative culinary
adventures for himself and his wife, pianist
Hyun Jung Kim, whom he married last
year. It’s no cliché to say these two make
beautiful music—they perform chambermusic concerts together.
“Choosing pieces and learning music
together is our happiness,” says Du.
Rui
Q
When did you know
you wanted to
make a career out
of playing music?
Marcia Kämper
Second Flute
I was in middle school
of the Shanghai
Conservatory,
I met my teacher …
Learning music from
that teacher was
pure joy and she
gave me chills
whenever she
taught me something
remarkable that I’ve
never imagined of.
Rui
10 O v ertur e |
www. bsomusic .org
Being a working mother, it’s helpful
to have a means to unwind. Marcia
Kämper’s two boys, Hiero and Hannes,
ages four and two, keep their mom on
her toes, but she has found that a little
meditation in her rare moments of
quiet goes a long way toward relaxing
her mind. “I try and take a moment to
breathe doing simple things: shower,
driving to work, laundry, grocery
shopping, looking up at the sky,” says
Kämper who was introduced to guided
meditation by a friend who gave her
some CDs.
A good long drive is also a calming
exercise, a throwback to Kämper’s youth
when she commuted through the desert
from her family’s home in Boulder City