Hilary Hahn concert

Wow - what a concert! To those who attended the OR Symphony concert last night, you know what I mean. It started off with a 'band' - the symphony played the national anthem with the audience on their feet. The first full piece they played was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! It's called Phenomenon by a Thai composer Prangcharoen - it was moving! Fast moving in most parts with some cool tricks played by the violins. The ending left us with our mouths wide open - you had to be there!

Hilary Hahn is a beautiful violinist - she wore a lovely blue dress that flowed when she moved (and she moved a lot!). Her bow usage is awesome - so controlled, so focused. Apparently she plays a Vuillaume (one of the most famous violin makers!) - the tone was clear and rich. She played the Tchaikovsky Violin concerto. It's one of my favorite concerts - I have at least 5 recordings of it. She chose some really interesting tempos in the middle of the 1st and 3rd movement. Here's a link to the recording, in case you're interested in purchasing it:

Hilary Hahn Tchaikovsky and Higdon Violin Concertos

Or here's a link to the MP3 downloads she has on Amazon:

Hilary Hahn MP3 downloads

I just purchased a copy of a DVD about her called "A Portrait" - we can watch in class some time and/or you're welcome to borrow it from me.

I hopped on her website this morning - www.hilaryhahn.com - and discovered that she's quite an active blogger. Check out the page called "Favorites". She also has a YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/hilaryhahnvideos - lots of cool stuff on this page.

I only heard a little of the Prokofiev concerto at the end of the concert - wish I could have stayed to the end.

Another amazing concert, OR Symphony!!! Thanks...