Name: Ming Gao

Instrument: Violin

Hometown: Nanjing, China

At what age did you begin playing your instrument?  14

Who has been your greatest musical influence? Pan Yi-Lin, a Chinese solo violinist.

Who are your favorite composers? Mozart and Dvorak, to name two.

What career path would you have taken had you not chosen music? Chemistry.

What’s currently playing on your iPod or CD player? Haydn quartet.

Your hobbies and interests: Ping-pong, movies and reading.

Some little-known, yet interesting facts about you: I play a number of Chinese instruments including the Er Hu and the Hu Lu Si.

Funniest concert moment: Once when I was playing a solo as a student, my bow got caught between my strings and I couldn’t play. I’m not sure if that's funny or tragic.

Daily practice rituals: 2-3 hours a day if I feel like it.

The question you’re asked most often about your instrument (and your answer): They don't ask about my instrument; they ask if I’m the second violinist of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, to which I respond, knowing they mean second chair, “Yes.”

Your favorite part about playing in the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra: Having great colleagues with whom to play.