The Rise of a Child Music Prodigy From China in Greece

Annie admires Greek violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos. Credit: Zhu Haotian/Sino Hellenic Information Post

Annie, the girl of Chinese immigrants who seized the accidental of Greece’s Golden Visa, has blossomed into a euphony prodigy astatine the tender property of four.

Her travel from China to Greece has been arsenic harmonious arsenic her violin playing, which dazzles with grace and skill, delighting some her household and her Greek euphony teacher, according to a study successful the Sino Hellenic Information Post.

Chinese euphony prodigy has a Greek idol

Annie’s admiration for Greek violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos knows nary bounds; he’s not conscionable her leader but her inspiration to delve heavy into the satellite of music.

Born successful Athens, Leonidas Kavakos has won respective planetary violin contention prizes, including the Sibelius, Paganini, Naumburg, and Indianapolis competitions. He is an Onassis Foundation student and has besides recorded for labels specified arsenic Sony/BMG and BIS.

As a conductor, helium was the creator manager of the Camerata Salzburg and has been a impermanent conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In 2016 Kavakos, took to the signifier of the Lincoln Center of Manhattan to behaviour the New York Philharmonic.

Living amidst the taste tapestry of Athens, Annie is not lone mastering Greek and her autochthonal Chinese but is besides fluent successful English and German, reflecting her family’s planetary outlook.

When asked astir her favourite piece, Annie lights up, mentioning “Infant Paganini” by Edward Mollenhauer, a prime that underscores her aboriginal affinity for intricate melodies and method brilliance. In her young heart, euphony transcends borders, echoing the fusion of her Sino-Greek heritage.

Chinese involvement successful Greece’s Golden Visa

As of February 2025, implicit 6,500 Greek Golden Visas person been issued to Chinese nationals. Chinese investors consistently correspond the largest radical of Golden Visa holders successful Greece, accounting for astir 55 to 65 percent of each applications and approvals.

There is important involvement from China successful the Greek Golden Visa programme for respective compelling reasons. First of all, the Greek Golden Visa traditionally had 1 of the lowest concern thresholds among European Golden Visa programs, requiring a minimum €250,000 existent property investment, though this has precocious accrued successful immoderate high-demand areas to €400,000 oregon adjacent €800,000.

Furthermore, it grants visa-free question wrong the Schengen Area, offering Chinese citizens greater mobility and state to question crossed 27 European countries without needing further visas.

While initially a residency-by-investment program, it offers a wide way to semipermanent residency and, eventually, Greek citizenship aft a definite play (typically 7 years of residency and gathering different requirements).

Chinese investors are often looking to diversify their assets extracurricular of China, particularly amidst superior controls and home economical uncertainties. Investing successful Greek existent property provides a stable, tangible plus successful a European economy.

Related: Greece and China: The Wisdom of Ancient Civilizations