Making Menuhin

Making Menuhin

VPM

Making Menuhin

Music Interviews Performing Arts English

Showcasing the talented youth participating in the Menuhin Competition, an international event known as the “Olympics of the violin.” Hear select performances and personal stories of young violinists from around the world ahead of their participation in the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021: how they got started, the teachers who inspired them, the sacrifices they’ve made and what they express through their music. Visit vpm.org/violin for more information and additional resources.

Making Menuhin: Official Trailer

Making Menuhin: Official Trailer

Tune in to hear the inside stories of the world's best young violinists leading up to the next Menuhin Competition, an international event known as the "Olympics of the violin."

1. Maya Anjali Buchanan

1. Maya Anjali Buchanan

She learned to play on a Froot Loops box. Now, she's set to compete in "The Olympics of the Violin." Maya Anjali Buchanan shares how her rural upbringing in South Dakota, along with a hectic childhood travel schedule, helped transform her into one of the world's top young violinists.Hear her perform the Largo and Allegro Assai movements from Bach's Sonata No 3 in C Major for Solo Violin and...

2. Matthew Hakkarainen

2. Matthew Hakkarainen

He picked up the instrument at age 3, and by 18 became the first American ever to win the prestigious Lipizer International Violin Competition. Matthew Hakkarainen credits his success to the support of his parents and teachers, as well as his exploration of art and literature, which he uses to inspire the feelings he conveys when playing his violin.Hear him perform the Adagio, Sicilienne and...

3. Keila Wakao

3. Keila Wakao

She views the violin as a replica of the human voice, and dives into the tone and emotions with each performance. Massachusetts native Keila Wakao also draws on a deep emotional connection she's developed with her family through music, particularly with her father, who has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for more than 30 years.Hear her perform Georg Philipp Telemann’s Fantasia for...

4. Tianyu Liu

4. Tianyu Liu

His parents knew his potential as a violinist at an early age, even making him stop playing basketball for fear of him damaging his fingers. Tianyu Liu has followed through on his parents' belief, and calls on the technical approach of his home country of China, the focus on musicality from his time in America and the emotion of his audiences to inform his playing style.Hear him perform the third...

5. Kerson Leong

5. Kerson Leong

Ottawa native Kerson Leong won first prize in the junior division in the Menuhin Competition Oslo 2010, and has since become well-known as one of the world's best violinists. He shares how his father's experimentation helped him approach his music in a scientific manner, and how he used those concepts as the foundation for his playing.Since winning the competition, he has dedicated much of his...

6. Shannon Ma

6. Shannon Ma

In addition to playing the violin, Shannon Ma is also passionate about dance, filmmaking and writing. She shares the influences of dance on the musicality of her playing style, as well as excerpts from an essay she wrote on growing up Asian in America, with the goal of helping to break down stereotypes that exist about Asians in the music community.Hear her perform the prelude from Bach's Partita...

7. Guido Sant'Anna / Raphael Nussbaumer

7. Guido Sant'Anna / Raphael Nussbaumer

In 2018, Guido Sant'Anna became the first Brazilian to compete in the Menuhin Competition in more than 30 years. Now, the fan favorite from Geneva is set to return to the competition, and is hoping to bring additional awareness and interest in classical music to South America.Hear Guido perform Nightclub 1960 by Astor Piazolla and Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Major as part of the Menuhin...

8. Kayleigh Kim

8. Kayleigh Kim

She's no stranger to the big occasion, having played the National Anthem in front of 40,000 fans and taken a master class with Hilary Hahn. Now, Virginia native Kayleigh Kim has her sights set on representing her home state in the Menuhin Competition when it arrives in Richmond next year.Hear her perform Georg Philipp Telemann’s Fantasia for Solo Violin no. 10 in D Major - also our theme music -...

9. Hiroki Kasai

9. Hiroki Kasai

He thought he was destined to be a dancer, but fell in love with the violin thanks to a fantastic teacher. Hiroki Kasai has another teacher to thank, though, for the most lasting impact on his approach to playing the violin - his current mentor, Rodney Friend, who encouraged him to use color to identify the notes he was playing.Hear him perform the Largo and Allegro Assai movements from JS Bach’s...