Hilary Hahn Quotes

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Hilary Hahn

Profession : Musician

Birth : November 27, 1979

Sometimes if the point of a piece of music is to open a conversation with other people, it's really hard to open that conversation if you're telling people exactly what to do or feel or think.

Hilary Hahn

Of course everyone has those moments of frustration now and then, when you say, 'I wish I could play well already - or just stop.' But it's too much trouble to stop just for a moment of frustration. It is when you keep going that you make the most progress.

Hilary Hahn

Music can inspire immediate emotional reactions, even if the only person who hears it is the person creating it.

Hilary Hahn

In music you can find your own niche. You can do what you want to do. There is really no job description. You have to find your own way, and that's fun.

Hilary Hahn

What I do is creative. It doesn't seem like that when I'm playing a piece that was written in the past, but the score is just the outline and everything in it is relative. The key is to make this piece written by someone else belong to you and then connect to the audience.

Hilary Hahn

The violin didn't keep me from doing things I wanted to do.

Hilary Hahn

Sometimes I like practicing, sometimes I don't. But I like the result... I hardly ever get discouraged. Maybe right when it's very hard to get something done correctly, but then the idea flashes through of how to fix it. And I get encouraged. And other ideas flow.

Hilary Hahn

Bach in general was so good with the violin. He just finds the genius way around his music on the instrument.

Hilary Hahn

Writing is a good creative outlet... it's a supplement to my music.

Hilary Hahn

I like when things happen very quickly, just flash in and flash out. It keeps things interesting.

Hilary Hahn

When I was starting out with record companies, there was a tendency to simplify the image as a prodigy. I have more than one adjective, and I've always tried to be myself and listen to my instincts.

Hilary Hahn

It's easy to be a prodigy. It's really hard to keep pushing in new directions.

Hilary Hahn

I find that Bach is appealing to a lot of different audiences. It really hits people at their core in different ways, but it also creates a meditative space. I just feel like I can play it, and it reaches people.

Hilary Hahn

I remember when I gave my first recital. I thought, 'Oh, my goodness, people are coming to hear me.' I didn't expect anyone to come, and then the whole hall filled up. Of course, it wasn't a big hall, and some of the people were my friends and family.

Hilary Hahn

I never felt like a prodigy. For one thing, the root of the word is rather monstrous, literally. I never really felt like a monster or anything abnormal, because I always had a lot of different interests. But kids tend to focus on one thing, and for me it was violin.

Hilary Hahn

Everyone is always making transitions in life.

Hilary Hahn

The encore should wrap up the audience's experience of the piece you just played.

Hilary Hahn

Through the Internet and technology, anyone can now seek out any artist, composer or undefined niche of music they find interesting. All on their own, without even having to stand up or go anywhere.

Hilary Hahn

As a young performer, what you need to be doing is building your technique and musicality, not promoting your abilities - unless you're ready to take on all that will result from such an approach.

Hilary Hahn

I've continued to pursue other interests in my downtime, but I'm glad I'm a musician. It's the perfect career for me.

Hilary Hahn