Violinist Paul Huang signs with naïve

Violinist Paul Huang signs with naïve, a label of Believe

Debut recording, dedicated to Saint-Saëns and Respighi, will be released in October 2023

Naïve releases will be the first commercial recordings in more than two decades to feature the 1742 ‘ex-Wieniawski’ Guarneri del Gesù, the instrument on extended loan to Huang

February 23, 2023 – Naïve, a label of Believe, has signed an exclusive recording agreement with violinist Paul Huang, whom the Washington Post described as “an artist with the goods for a significant career.” A native of Taiwan, Huang was trained at the Julliard School in New York where he has lived since the age of 12. Recipient of both the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, Huang has been steadily building a career throughout North and South America, Asia and Europe, gaining international recognition for his distinctive artistry. His debut recording of music by Saint-Saëns and Respighi, will be released in October 2023.

About the partnership with naïve, Huang says, "I'm delighted and excited to begin the collaboration with naïve. In this ever-changing world of recording industry, naïve has always shown its integrity and support for artistic excellence and vision. I look forward to many future projects together and trust this will result in meaningful and beautiful recordings."

Aurélia Rippe, head of A&R and production at naïve classique, says, “We are so happy to start this long-term journey with Paul Huang and accompany him on his recording debut. Paul’s violin voice is definitely one of most authentic and singular of his generation. His art of colors, his impressive virtuosity, his creative and clever approach of the repertoire promise wonderful projects to come. We are very much looking forward to his first album in October and the following ones. Welcome to naïve, Dear Paul!”

Paul Huang plays on the legendary 1742 “ex-Wieniawski” Guarneri del Gesù on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.  The instrument has not been performed on a commercial recording in more than two decades.

"Every day I feel like I learn something new from this violin," he says. “I was first loaned this legendary violin for a few weeks when I was 16 for my European recital debut at the Louvre in Paris. Fast forward many years later, the instrument’s owner called me to inquire if I would be interested in taking the violin and I have been playing it now for almost nine years and could not have dreamt of a better musical partner than this violin. With my debut album on naïve in Paris, it feels like I am coming full circle with this legendary violin.” 

About Paul Huang:

Recipient of the prestigious 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, violinist Paul Huang is considered to be one of the most distinctive artists of his generation. The Washington Post remarked that Mr. Huang "possesses a big, luscious tone, spot-on intonation and a technique that makes the most punishing string phrases feel as natural as breathing," and further proclaimed him as "an artist with the goods for a significant career" following his recital debut at the Kennedy Center.

Mr. Huang's recent highlights have included acclaim debut at Bravo!Vail Music Festival stepping in for violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter in the Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.4 with Chamber Orchestra Vienna-Berlin, Detroit Symphony with Leonard Slatkin, Houston Symphony with Andres Orozco-Estrada, Baltimore Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic with Markus Stenz, and recital debuts at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland and Aspen Music Festival. In Fall 2021, Paul also became the first classical violinist to perform his own arrangement of the National Anthem for the opening game of the NFL at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina to an audience of 75,000. An exclusive recording artist with France's Naïve Records, his debut album is slated for worldwide release in fall of 2023. 

During the 2022-23 season, Mr. Huang opens the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan season with Jun Markl (also embarks on a US tour at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall) and makes his debut with the Hiroshima Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic with Lahav Shani,  and Dallas Symphony Orchestra with Fabio Luisi. Other highlights will include engagements with the Buffalo and Fort Wayne Philharmonics, and Colorado, San Diego, and Pensacola Symphonies. 

2022-23 season recital and chamber music performances will include Mr. Huang’s return to both the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Camerata Pacifica, his recital debut at Alice Tully Hall with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, and appearances at the Washington Performing Arts, Wolf Trap, the Rockefeller University, the Society of Four Arts in Palm Beach, Cleveland Chamber Music Society, and Chamber Music San Francisco. In January 2023, Mr. Huang will launch the first edition of "Paul Huang & Friends" International Chamber Music Festival in Taipei, Taiwan in association with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan. 

Mr. Huang's recent recital engagements included Lincoln Center's "Great Performers" series and return recital engagement at the Kennedy Center. He also stepped in for Midori with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony to critical acclaim. Mr. Huang has also made debuts at the Wigmore Hall, Seoul Arts Center, and the Louvre in Paris. 

A frequent guest artist at music festivals worldwide, he has performed at the Seattle, Music@Menlo, Savannah, Caramoor, La Jolla, Santa Fe, Moritzburg, Kissinger Sommer, Sion, Orford Musique, and the PyeongChang Music Festival in South Korea. His chamber music collaborators have included Gil Shaham, Cho-Liang Lin, Nobuko Imai, Mischa Maisky, Jian Wang, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Kirill Gerstein and Marc-Andre Hamelin.

Winner of the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Mr. Huang made critically acclaimed recital debuts in New York at Lincoln Center and in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center. Other honors include First Prize at the 2009 Tibor Varga International Violin Competition Sion-Valais in Switzerland, the 2009 Chi-Mei Cultural Foundation Arts Award for Taiwan’s Most Promising Young Artists, the 2013 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, and the 2014 Classical Recording Foundation Young Artist Award.

Born in Taiwan, Mr. Huang began violin lessons at the age of seven. He is a recipient of the inaugural Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under Hyo Kang and I-Hao Lee. He plays on the legendary 1742 “ex-Wieniawski” Guarneri del Gesù on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago and is on the faculty of Taipei National University of the Arts. He resides in New York. 

Contact:
Rebecca Davis
Rebecca Davis Public Relations for naïve classiques
Rebecca@rebeccadavispr.com
347-432-8832