Hilary Hahn

Violin prodigy admitted to the Curtis Institute at age 10 who became one of the most acclaimed violinists of her generation.

At age 12, Hilary Hahn marked her major orchestral debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, signaling the beginning of a prolific performance career. Born in Lexington, Virginia, in 1979, she rapidly advanced through formal training to become a primary soloist for international ensembles, maintaining a career that balances rigorous classical performance with contemporary musical experimentation.

Formative Education

Hahn began violin studies in the Suzuki Program at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore shortly before her fourth birthday. She studied under Klara Berkovich from 1985 until 1990. At ten, she entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, studying under Jascha Brodsky for seven years. She later continued her studies with Jaime Laredo, alongside chamber music instruction from Felix Galimir and Gary Graffman. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in May 1999.

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Orchestral and Soloist Career

Her international presence expanded quickly following her 1994 debut in Hungary. In 1996, she performed at Carnegie Hall with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 2007, she played in Vatican City for Pope Benedict XVI. Her discography spans 16 albums on Sony and Deutsche Grammophon labels, covering both traditional repertoire and newer works.

Contemporary Commissioning and Collaboration

Hahn actively commissions new compositions, including concerti by Edgar Meyer and Jennifer Higdon, the latter winning the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Her project, In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores, included works by composers such as David Lang and Du Yun. She also explores genre boundaries, releasing the improvised album Silfra with Hauschka and performing with artists like Josh Ritter and Tom Brosseau. In 2020, she co-founded DeepMusic.ai to integrate artificial intelligence with musical creativity.

Community Outreach and Recognition

Since 2016, Hahn has organized community-focused events, including knitting circles and yoga classes, paired with live music. She received the 2024 Avery Fisher Prize and the 2021 Herbert von Karajan Prize. Her recording of Eugène Ysaÿe's violin sonatas was named Gramophone's 2024 Record of the Year. In 2026, she performed as the soloist for the New York City Ballet premiere of Tiler Peck’s ballet set to Édouard Lalo's Symphonie espagnole.