THE annual North East Last Night of the Proms concert brings some of the region’s most celebrated music stars together for a blast of national and regional patriotism in aid of cancer charities.

But joining soprano Janice Cairns, violinist Bradley Creswick and others beneath the red, white and blue balloons on Saturday will be a newcomer – Leia Zhu, aged four.

The pint-sized violinist has already passed her grade one exam with merit and in the summer entertained 200 people in Gateshead Old Town Hall.

But Saturday’s concert at Newcastle City Hall, with an audience nudging 2,000 and a full adult orchestra and massed choirs behind her, poses a mightier challenge.

Mum Yanhong Bi and dad Kairong Zhu are confident their daughter will rise to the occasion.

At their home in Whickham, Gateshead, Leia treated The Journal to a performance of the third movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto in A Minor.

She was introduced by three-year-old brother Leo, on toy microphone, and then launched into a spirited rendition of the piece, making it look rather easy. “One thing she absolutely loves is playing in front of people, and not just one person – as many people as possible,” said Kairong.

“After the concert in Gateshead she said: ‘This is my favourite performance because there are so many people’.”

He also learned violin as a boy growing up in China but gave it up because he wanted to do sport instead.

But he picked up the violin again in adulthood so he could attend Leia’s lessons with Newcastle violin teacher Annamaria McCool.

He explained that although Leia speaks fluent English as a pupil at the local Fellside Primary School, the family speaks Mandarin at home.

“When she did her grade one exam it was a huge achievement for her because the examiner asked her questions in words that are not in most four-year-olds’ vocabulary.”

Yanhong, who also grew up in China but came to Britain to study, said she realised her daughter had a musical ear at a very young age.

“When she was a baby we noticed she particularly enjoyed classical music.

“We sometimes had Classic FM on the radio and if we tried to change it to pop music or a different channel she would start crying.

“I started downloading classical music to play for her.”

Yanhong said Annamaria McCool, The Sage Gateshead and John Treherne, head of Gateshead Council’s music service, had all supported Leia.

Although she was still too young to join Gateshead’s youth orchestra, John had invited her to join a string ensemble to broaden her experience.

Another they wished to thank was David Haslam, who will conduct the English Philharmonic Orchestra in Saturday’s concert and who invited Leia to join the stars on stage. “We are all very excited about this opportunity,” said Yanhong.

“When we first heard from the organisers we talked to Leia and she was very excited too. She is really looking forward to it.”

David Haslam said: “It is amazing that she can play like that at such a young age and with such confidence.

“There aren’t many four-year-olds with nerves of steel who could do that kind of thing.”

Annamaria said: “I refused to take her as a pupil at first because of her age. But she’s amazing.”

The North East Last Night of the Proms was established by George and Rosalynde Walker, from Westerhope, Newcastle.

It started as a one-off fund-raiser to thank medical staff who had treated George for blood cancer non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But Saturday’s concert will be the 22nd in what has become a North East institution.

The concert, now staged in memory of George, who finally succumbed to the disease 10 years ago, has generated more than £1.5m for cancer care and research and has attracted a host of famous musicians, also including opera singers Benjamin Luxon and Sir Thomas Allen, over the years.

Based on the annual Last Night of the Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall, a concert steeped in British patriotism, this year’s Newcastle concert could be said to represent modern multi-cultural Britain.

While Leia is preparing to line up with Janice, Bradley and others, mum Yanhong, a businesswoman and cultural ambassador, is working with Durham Cricket Club to popularise the game in China.

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