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Li Chuanyun is one of China's top violinists, but the 34-year-old battles many inner demons.

Announcing his upcoming solo concert in Beijing after a five-year hiatus, he seems to be suffering from a severe lack of confidence.

"There are so many people," he says, clutching a glass of wine. He points at his drink: "I need this to boost my confidence."

However, the moment he picks up his violin he changes into another person, playing with passion and freedom.

The nervousness is a little-known side to the musician, who is famous for his brash confidence onstage. He once mixed the Chinese national anthem with the Super Mario theme song. In a 2009 concert, he performed Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with such wild passion he lost his balance and fell down onstage.

While many people are blown away by the soloist's outstanding virtuosity, some consider his performances controversial for their spontaneity and crazy intensity.

For his upcoming concert, Li Chuanyun and Neo-classical, the violinist has decided to embrace the controversy by playing classical works with his own interpretation. Though his forte is classical music, he also enjoys other musical genres, such as pop, jazz and rock.

"I know that my adaptations have received some negative reviews, which really hurt me," says Li, who had a difficult period in 2009. He was severely ill and had a medical operation. He even thought about abandoning his music career because "no one understands my music".

With the help and support of his friends, including pop singer-songwriter Chang Shilei, Li decided to continue his bold experiment with music.

"While touring the world, including Europe and the United States, I found most of the audience was middle-aged and older. I want to close the distance between classical music and younger audiences," he says. "I hope my performance can offer them a different perspective of classical music."

His mother, Qiu Xingye, a violin teacher, who accompanies him as he tours the world, did not initially support his pioneering adaptations.

"We have received strict training and obeyed all the rules. I once told my son to follow the tradition and not to improvise," Qiu says. "But since I saw young audiences respond excitedly to his performance, I gradually changed my mind. They are moved by his music and different style."

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