Rachel Barton Pine - Defying Definition

We asked Lee Anne Myslewski, Administrative Director, Wolf Trap Opera & Classical Programming, to tell us a little bit about the upcoming Discovery Series performance featuring Rachel Barton Pine. This is what she had to say...

Specialization. We all move towards finding a sweet spot – academically, professionally – as we mature. But there’s something to be said for not only being a jack-of-all trades, but in doing many things at a high level.

Enter violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

While most of her professional life admittedly revolves around music-making, she’s found a way to diversify her career into a number of areas. Let’s take a quick count:

Prodigy. Made her professional debut with the Chicago String Ensemble at the age of 7.

Soloist. Appeared as a soloist with many of North America’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Chicago, Montreal, Atlanta, San Diego, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Dallas Symphonies; Buffalo and Rochester Philharmonics, and the Philadelphia and Louisville Orchestras. Overseas, she has performed with the Vienna, New Zealand, Iceland and Budapest Symphonies; the Royal Scottish and Belgian National Orchestras; the Mozarteum, Scottish and Israel Chamber Orchestras; the Royal and Russian Philharmonics, and the Netherlands Radio Kamer Filharmonie.

Recitalist. Performing this season in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Chicago in addition to playing at The Barns on April 13, 2012. (The New York Times enjoyed her performance of Paganini’s 24 Caprices!)

Baroque Specialist. Performs Baroque, Renaissance, and medieval music on Baroque violin, viola d’amore, Renaissance violin, and rebec. She regularly performs and records with John Mark Rozendaal and David Schrader as the period instrument ensemble Trio Settecento.

Headbanger. Arranges and performs heavy-metal tunes. Has a custom-made extended range flying V electric violin. Formed the six-piece doom/thrash metal band Earthen Grave, which recently released a critically-acclaimed five-song EP called Dismal Times.

Award-Winner. At 17, she was the youngest – and first American – to win the J.S. Bach International Violin Competition. That’s just one example of the many prizes she’s claimed.

Ambassador. Torchbearer in the 1996 Olympic torch relay. Has played for the Paralympics, Chicago Bulls games, national political conventions. Has appeared on CBS Sunday and The Today Show.

Mentor. Assists young artists through The Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation, which funds various projects including the Instrument Loan Program, Grants for Education and Career, and Global HeartStrings (supporting classical musicians in developing countries). She is a frequent instructor at Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Camp and the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp. She received the prestigious 2006 Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award for her work in music education.

The list, amazingly, goes on.

Questions? I invite you to join us on Friday, April 13; there’s a Q&A with Ms. Pine at the top of the second half where you can ask about any of these areas. I hope to see you there!