What/who inspired you to pursue music professionally?
As a child (and to this day!), I was completely in awe of Hilary Hahn. I had a DVD of her playing the Korngold Violin Concerto, and I watched it more times than I can remember. It always made me want to practice so I could be more like her! As I got into high school, I was lucky to have many talented and hardworking musicians as my closest friends. They inspired me every day to chase a professional musical career.
What’s the best piece of musical advice you’ve ever received?
This is too hard to answer! I’m a walking mixture of all the wonderful musical advice I’ve received over the years from my many teachers. I always chuckle when I find myself repeating their words back to my own private students these days!
What do you love about the violin in general and your instrument in particular?
I love the violin because it has the capability to sound so human. It is small enough to feel fragile but has a huge personality and is capable of emoting with such passion. I’ve had my violin since I was in the 8th grade, so it has been with me for most of my musical journey – I love that it feels like the instrument has changed and adapted to my own playing through the years.
Which concert from the upcoming season are you most looking forward to?
I’ve never performed Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, so I’m excited for Classic 3 in November! Frozen in Concert is a close second, though.
What is your favorite thing about Tucson?
I adore the people, the food, the landscape, and the heat!
Can you tell me a bit about the other important positions you hold at the TSO?
I love being a part of the TSO String Quintet. Chamber music has always been important to me, and going out into the community to bring classical music to Tucson schools is one of my favorite parts of the job. I also work under our principal librarian as a library assistant. This means I help prepare all the sheet music for the orchestra! Most parts need to be cleaned, marked, numbered, or bowed. I love organizational work, and this job perfectly fulfills that for me.
