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Hilary Hahn |
Throughout his 25-year Wittenberg career, Will Hahn inspired countless students, colleagues and alumni with his passion for teaching and service to the mathematics department, the university and the Mathematical Association of America, both on the regional and national level. In light of his dedicated service, the university's Alumni Association bestowed on him its most prestigious recognition, The Class of 1914 Award, given to an individual from the university community who has served Wittenberg above and beyond what might be expected of any contributor to the college's welfare.
Lanty Smith, chairman of Wachovia Corp. and founder and CEO of Tippet Capital, was one of many students Hahn mentored while at Wittenberg.
"Will Hahn epitomized what a superb professor at a liberal arts college should be," Smith said. "He used his exceptional scholarly intellect and abiding interest in students to be a remarkably effective teacher, counselor, mentor and role model. He profoundly influenced the careers and lives of many dozens of his Wittenberg students."
The world-renowned Wittenberg Choir, which embarks on a five-state Spring Concert Tour on March 5, is scheduled to give a pre-concert performance. In addition, Hahn will participate in a question and answer session with students in Wittenberg's acclaimed music department.
A two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist, Hilary Hahn is celebrated for her innovative interpretations, captivating stage presence and emotional sophistication. She appears regularly with the world's leading orchestras and on notable recital series throughout Europe, Asia and North America. In the 2008-09 season alone, she will tour the United States, China, Korea, Germany, England, France, Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands as guest soloist with, among others, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco, Baltimore, Vancouver and Toronto symphonies, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
In 2007, Hahn was chosen to be the featured soloist in Pope Benedict XVI's 80th birthday celebration at the Vatican, a performance recently released on DVD, and in 2004, she was the violin soloist on the Oscar-nominated soundtrack to M. Night Shyamalan's film The Village.
Born in Lexington, Va., and raised in Baltimore, Md., Hahn has released five albums under her current record label, Deutsche Grammophon, comprising works by Bach, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Mozart, Paganini, Spohr, Schoenberg and Sibelius. Her most recent recording, which paired the violin concertos of Schoenberg and Sibelius, debuted at No. 1 and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard classical chart, in addition to winning the 2009 Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. She also made five award-winning recordings for Sony Classical, featuring repertoire by Bach, Barber, Beethoven, Bernstein, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, in addition to a concerto written for her by American composer/performer Edgar Meyer.
Hahn has received numerous distinctions throughout her career, including a Grammy for her recording of the Brahms and Stravinsky violin concertos, Diapason's d'Or of the Year, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics' Award), 2008 Classical FM Gramophone Artist of the Year, and several Echo awards. She has appeared on the covers of all major classical music publications and has been featured in mainstream periodicals such as Vogue, Elle, Town and Country and Marie Claire. In 2001, Hahn was named America's Best Young Classical Musician by TIME.
The Witt Series is a selection of cultural activities annually presented by Wittenberg University. All Series events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jeannine Fox, Series coordinator, at (937) 327-7470 or via e-mail.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photo By: Mathias Bothor (courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon)
025-09
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