Violin Virtuoso, 16 : On the Threshold of Superstardom

Why does anyone want to become a soloist? It is one of the toughest professions in the whole world. It requires nerves of steel, the constitution of a bull, the stomach of an ostrich, the hide of an elephant. Violinist and conductor Henri Temianka It was 7 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall and Robert Chen, a 16-year-old violin virtuoso from Northridge, stood on stage and surveyed the empty auditorium.

In one hour, 2,000 people would fill the room to hear the young soloist perform the Johannes Brahms double concerto with internationally acclaimed cellist Nathaniel Rosen. It was a great opportunity for Robert to be heard by what his teacher called “the right people,” a small group of classical musicians and conductors who serve as musical power brokers. Robert’s energy level was high; he had to play well this night.

Despite his youth, Robert stands on the threshold of being a world-class violinist, according to classical musicians and critics who have heard him play. He has the talent, drive, nerves and discipline of the great violinists, says his Northridge teacher of six years, Robert Lipsett. But, in a highly competitive world where child prodigies often fizzle by 19, his success is far from assured.

Whether he makes the transition from brilliant teen-age soloist to international superstar depends on more factors than Robert can count on his nimble, callused fingers.

Right now, he is one of a number of super-talented U.S. violinists--anywhere from three to 200, depending on who is rating them. And, although artistry and exposure play pivotal roles in a young musician’s career, connecting with influential people is equally, if not more, important, Lipsett said.

Power, Influence

“If you are lucky enough, you catch the attention of someone with power and influence who takes a liking to your playing or career . . . an Isaac Stern,” says Lipsett, referring to the internationally renowned violinist who has launched careers for a number of young musicians.

Irving Geller, associate concertmaster for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who calls Robert the best young violinist he has seen, said, “It can be extremely important to make the right connections.”

Robert knows this firsthand.

Last year, for instance, a sound engineer who taped one of Robert’s concerts was impressed enough to pass the tape on to Mehli Mehta, Zubin Mehta’s father, who conducts the American Youth Symphony. Mehta liked what he heard, and asked the young man to perform with his symphony.

Displaying poise and maturity beyond his years, Robert acknowledges the importance of the musical world’s old-boy network. But he concentrates on his playing and leaves the connections to Lipsett, he says.

“It puts even more pressure on me if I think, ‘Are these people going to hear me play?’ If you just concentrate on the music and convey that emotion to the audience, people will be inspired,” he said.

Besides auditioning for someone rich or famous, ambitious young musicians can also make themselves known by winning prestigious competitions. Some aspiring talents make records, others send demonstration tapes to orchestras around the country. Robert has not made a record, he says. Instead, Lipsett is bringing his star pupil out slowly, showcasing him at selective performances with important orchestras, conductors and other soloists.

When he plays these engagements, Robert says, he feels the air crackle with an electrical current that charges him and the audience.

“Some days I get extra energy from somewhere,” he said. “I finish the performance and feel like I’m just getting warmed up.”

Of Saturday’s performance at Royce Hall, the critics would later say that the soloist scored a home run. “Robert’s dynamic drive, his penetrating sound and his nearly flawless technical control belong to a player who has indeed attained a high level of musical maturity,” a Times music reviewer wrote.

Sweat on His Temples

Forty-five minutes before the show, the serious young musician, dressed in black tails, stood frowning before a brightly lighted dressing-room mirror. As he rehearsed the entire concerto slowly to warm up, drops of sweat trickled down his temples. But it was apparent it was the sweat of exertion, not fear.

Robert has the nerves of steel that Henri Temianka referred to in his book “Facing the Music, An Inside View of the Real Concert World.” Robert loves crowds, always has, he says.

At 10, Robert was a natural performer who played with fire and passion, Lipsett said. The youngster first soloed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at 12. In 1984, he scored two first-place honors at the Young Musicians Foundation Debut competition, where his performance included a Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Last year, he won first place in a national chamber music competition.

He is no less ambitious in planning his goals.

“There have to be new ideas that break old traditions or else people just spend their lives trying to imitate or perfect an art of the past,” Robert said. “I want to establish new traditions. I want to be known 100 years from now.”

Learned to Play at 6

For Robert, Saturday’s performance was one more step on the long path toward fame. It also showed how far he has progressed since age 6, when he first held the violin up awkwardly to his shoulder in his native Taiwan.

In 1979, when he was 10, the family emigrated to the United States, settling in the San Fernando Valley. Robert’s parents found work with an air-cargo company, where his father is now staff accountant. Robert and his two piano-playing older sisters, Margaret and Doris, continued music lessons in their new land.

For several years now, the young musician has practiced four hours a day and slept six hours, he says. In the morning, he is up by 6, driving to Santa Monica, where he attends Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Then it’s back home to take a nap, do homework and practice on his 1826 J. B. Vuillaume violin, valued at more than $32,000.

Each piece he plays evokes different imagery for Robert. A Johann Sebastian Bach suite brings vivid, fleeting visions of “people dancing, a grandiose fanfare.” A Jean Sibelius concerto conjures up images of arctic winds and snow-white mountains “where it’s really icy, like up in Eastern Europe.”

The young musician says soul and feeling are as important as technical skills.

‘Emotion Into Playing’

“A lot of people are technically proficient, but don’t put themselves into the performance. It’s a natural gift, to put emotion into your playing . . . to convey a message.” According to Robert, you either have it, or you don’t.

Offstage, Robert is a friendly young man who smiles a lot. It is only on stage that the supercharged, serious performer appears, a mature dynamo of focused energy who plays the crowd as expertly as his violin.

Whether Robert will achieve his most ardent desire is yet to be seen. Lipsett believes the violinist has his foot in the door. Robert, optimistic but ever cautious, says he works hard, stays cool and takes things one day at a time.

Saturday, as the moment drew near for him to pick up his violin and stride to the front of the waiting orchestra, Robert was calm and in control.

“Everyone gets butterflies, but you walk out there, with the lights and the people, and it’s a good feeling,” he said.