[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO VIOLINIST LIN CHO-LIANG

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVID WU

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 4, 2001

  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the award-winning 
violinist Lin Cho-Liang--Jimmy Lin to his English-speaking friends.
  Born in Taiwan, Jimmy Lin is an award-winning violinist whose 
performances bridge cultural and geographical gaps. Shortly after I 
left for the United States with my family, Jimmy Lin and his family 
moved into the same house where I lived in Hsinchu, Taiwan and now I am 
proud to call him a friend.
  Jimmy Lin was born in 1960 in Hsinchu. After practicing on a toy 
violin until he was five years old, his parents bought him a quarter-
size violin and he soon started lessons. His father, a physicist, 
brought home recordings for him to listen to and to study. At age 12, 
he left for Australia where he spent three years studying the violin 
before arriving at the Juilliard School in New York.
  Jimmy Lin made his New York debut at age 19 at Avery Fisher Hall 
playing Mozart's Third Concerto and has had a distinguished music 
career ever since. Last year he was awarded Musical America's 
Instrumentalist of the Year and, in 1999 received the Musician of the 
Year award. Lin has also won Gramophone's Record of the Year and has 
been nominated for a Grammy award.
  Jimmy Lin appears annually with major orchestras and on key recital 
and chamber music series all over the world. He is also a renowned solo 
artist who is in demand all over the world. Last year, he celebrated 
Isaac Stern's 80th birthday in a concert in Tokyo. During a trip to 
Taiwan to meet with business and government leaders this month, I have 
the opportunity to see my friend, Jimmy Lin, perform in Taipei and to 
visit our home in Hsinchu together.
  As the Los Angeles Times wrote: ``Jimmy Lin . . . has become a 
beloved icon. . . .  He communicates through music to that wider 
audience that always seems to recognize and reward the rare combination 
of virtuosity and humanity.''
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of his accomplishments and pleased to honor 
him in the United States Congress for his dedication to cultural 
understanding through music.

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