By: Mandy Jiang, Patricia Harden, and Anna Zhang
Left to Right: Teaching Artist (TA), Melissa Wright, Anna Zhang, Hilary Hahn, Mandy Jiang, Patricia Harden, and TA, Kei Fukuda
Meeting violinist Hilary Hahn was truly a dream come true. Before one of her performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Patricia, Anna, and I were gifted with the opportunity of a lifetime - to meet with and interview the Hilary Hahn. We were led to the green room, where we expectantly waited for her arrival, our hearts near bursting with anticipation. Then there she was - the classical icon herself - walking in from a hidden hallway behind us. We all erupted into collective screaming, gasping, and personally, maybe even a little crying.
After recovering from our initial shock and taking a few deep breaths, we each had a chance to ask her a few questions. Below are her answers to a few of the questions we asked that most resonated with us.
Q: What was the impact of the pandemic on your career? - Anna
A: The pandemic reduced the amount of physical interaction between musicians but allowed music on digital platforms to prosper. Ms. Hahn took a year off of playing live concerts but learned new ways of approaching playing violin and general violin repertoire after returning.
Q: Which pieces have you played by underrepresented composers? - Patricia
A: Ms. Hahn has listened to, premiered, and even commissioned many works by underrepresented composers. One notable piece would be Jessie Montgomery’s “Banner.” Ms. Hahn has explored and always been intrigued by the works of lesser known artists and strives to make a name for them.
Q: What advice would you give someone who started playing violin later on in life? - Mandy
A: The most important thing is to focus on the advantages of playing an instrument later on in life rather than the disadvantages. It means that choosing to play music was a personal choice, rather than a predetermined destiny or decision made by your parents. It also means that you can recall learning fundamental skills. Ms. Hahn also said that regardless of when you started, the most important thing is to use your passion for music to make a difference.
Afterwards, as members of the Youth Advocacy Council (YAC), we proudly gifted Ms. Hahn her very own P440 hooded sweatshirt. She immediately put it on, excitedly mentioning how “all of [her] other hoodies [were] worn out” and that she was in need of another. We then took pictures and were graciously given signatures on practice journals, in notebooks, and on laptop cases. However, my favorite memory from this experience would have to be when our meet and greet had just concluded - Ms. Hahn had unexpectedly walked up to Patricia’s mother, thanked her, then gave her a hug! It was incredibly sweet and led to us all taking selfies with the kind soloist before giving her a warm send off and wishing her luck at her performance.
Getting to meet Hilary Hahn was definitely a memory the three of us will always cherish. We hope to spread the work we are doing at YAC so that we can even reach those as influential to the classical music world as Ms. Hahn. As musicians and leaders in our community, we take her empowering words to heart and aspire to continue making change in our communities and in the classical music world.
