Toad Lane Concerts: Shuwei Zuo duo

Shuwei Zuo (violin) and Xin He (viola)

In the last recital of 2022, the acoustics at St Mary in the Baum resonated with an extraordinary duo recital by exceptional Chinese players.

Shuwei Zuo (violin) began playing at the age of 5, then after specialist music school attended the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing from 2014, whilst also being commended at the New York Summit Festival.

In 2018, she undertook a master’s at the Royal Academy of Music and recently completed a Performance Diploma at the RNCM. She is now second violin with the Ink Quartet and a freelance musician based in the UK.

Also a member of the Ink Quartet, Xin He (viola) grew up in China and began playing the viola at age of 12 at Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of Music. She graduated from the RNCM after a four year scholarship from the ABRSM where she won the RNCM Concerto Competition 2021. The following year won the viola prize and was one of the finalists of the RNCM Gold Medal. She is now at the Royal Academic of Music.

The repertoire for Violin and Viola Duo is rarely heard live because it requires two virtuosos to be in one place at the same time. This was that time. Hoffmeister, Mozart, Spohr, and Halvorsen’s take on Handel’s Passacaglia were superb, demonstrating impeccable technique, ensemble, phrasing, and enthusiasm.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available now, but the venue is Covid-19 compliant. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson