Cellist Felix Fan Is a Concert Vet at 13

Almost any 3 1/2-year-old child can play a musical instrument. A tin drum, a plastic flute, a follow-the-light electric piano. Just wait until Christmas and listen.

But only a few toddlers--Mozart, Mendelssohn, Felix Fan--really know what they’re doing.

Felix Fan?

Sure, San Diego’s own Felix Fan. When Felix was 3 1/2, he performed his first violin recital at San Diego State University. He began studying cello and piano the following year and wrote his first cello duet when he was 8. He performed in his first full concert at 10 and now, at the advanced age of 13 and having played with major symphonies throughout California, he’s considered a veteran concert cellist.

Fan, winner of the 1987-’88 Young Artist Competition of the La Jolla Symphony, has already played 14 concerts and has several more in his date book, including this Sunday’s 7:30 p.m. concert at the First Presbyterian Church, 320 Date Ave., San Diego. Fan, along with organist Robert Plimpton, will play music of Frescolbaldi, Eccles and two movements of the Boccherini Cello Concerto.

The shy, slender youth is an eighth-grader at the Bishop School in La Jolla. His parents are natives of Taiwan, but he was born in Boston. The family moved here when he was 2. His father, Chris Fan, is the president and founder of Pacific Biotech in Sorrento Valley.

Chris Fan said his son follows a disciplined schedule of cello practice, putting in an hour before and after school each day, plus an hour after dinner. So far this year, Felix has kept his grades up, despite the travel and practice, receiving mostly A’s.

“Felix likes studying cello as much as playing tennis or Ping-Pong,” Chris Fan said. “He’s been performing a lot this year, but he still has the time to challenge me to a game of Ping-Pong almost every day.”

While most boys Felix’s age are out playing sports on Saturdays, he travels to Los Angeles to play the cello with music teacher Eleanore Schoenfeld. His parents, eager to help him further his musical career, drive him to and from all of his practices and performances.

Felix’s mother also plays and teaches cello, violin and piano and serves as his in-house coach.

During a recent rehearsal at the First Presbyterian Church, Felix sat erect but relaxed on a small mahogany stool, gliding the bow across his 143-year-old, $45,000 Bernandel cello. The sound of strings and pipes flowed harmoniously as he and Plimpton rehearsed their last set for the evening.

“I’m delighted to have a guest artist like Felix,” said Plimpton. “He’s just an incredible young musician, and it’s an honor for me personally and a privilege for our church to present him on our concert series.”

According to Plimpton, the church’s committee chairman is always looking for new talented musicians to perform, and hearing of the prodigy, he was excited to have him play there.

As for the future, Felix is keeping some of his options open. He said he’d like to continue to play solo or work as part of a duet or trio, but he doesn’t think he wants a career in an orchestra.

For now, besides performing, he said his favorite pastime is collecting baseball cards.