Chinese virtuoso violinist's distinctive style turns heads in London

Virtuoso violinist Analiza Ching makes heads turns and instantly wings your heart when she walks into the room. Not only is her music captivating and breathtaking, she is also a head-turner who dresses fashionably. With several stunning performances to her credit, the young Chinese musician is redefining the way the violin is played and giving it a more contemporary feel.

Analiza Ching is a favorite with the British royal family and has played at Windsor Castle. Provided to China Daily

Ten years ago when Ching first came to London to study music, she was just an ordinary teenager who wanted to make a mark in the music world.

She joined the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), but found that the road was not smooth. She was alone in an alien city, with no friends or family members, and very little money.

To make matters worse, her language proficiency was just the bare minimum.

"I could only speak words like 'hi' and 'how are you'. Coming to the UK was certainly a big adventure," says Ching.

But driven by the desire to make a mark on the music scene, Ching refused to give up and continued her quest.

Apart from practicing music for eight hours daily, Ching supplemented her meager earnings through performances in shows and by giving private tuitions for neighboring children.

That hard work seems to have paid off. Ten years later, Ching has several solo performances to her credit.

Sitting in the China Tang restaurant in the Dorchester, one of London's best-known hotels, Ching says she plans to launch her first music album, The Shadow of Love, later this year.

"Shadow lends a bit of mystery, while love is what everybody wants and needs," she says in clear British English about the album, sipping a cup of jasmine tea.

On her left forearm, she wears a red beaded bracelet, a symbol of luck in Chinese culture.

Ching says that she co-composed with her producers all the 13 tunes in the album. "The music is rich and comes with a lot of passion. It is not just beautiful and relaxing music, but very beautiful, exciting and relaxing classical music," she says.

Ching has performed twice for the royal family and also on several important occasions like the recent concert to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles at the Royal Albert Hall, the mecca for musicians.

On that occasion, she played the legendary Liverpool band's classic tune Yesterday, in her own distinctive style along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ching also performed at the opening ceremony of the London Fashion Week 2011 last month.

Local magazines and publications consider her "one of the most outstanding new musical personalities seen for a long time", while the audience who watched her play term her an "emerging talent" and "dramatic violinist".