With a massive social media following, a trio of Grammys, and dozens of new works dedicated in her name, Hilary Hahn is the epitome of a classical celebrity. Yet in 2019, the star violinist embarked on a one-year sabbatical, looking for a fresh perspective on herself and her artistry. Extended by the intrusion of the pandemic, this sabbatical led to months of deep thought, the rebuilding of the very foundations of her career ideals, and eventually the recording and release of Eclipse, her newest album on the Deutsche Grammophon label. “Historically, eclipses are times of great power, with strong cultural beliefs about transformation and emergence,” muses Hahn. “I felt like that very much aligned with the experience that musicians went through in the course of the lockdowns: a shifting of the light, and a different feeling on the other side of it.”

Speaking to smART Magazine from Frankfurt, Hahn shares thoughts on the emotional dissonance of the Ginastera Violin Concerto, bringing Carmen to life on a violin, and her own efforts to address the ongoing upheaval of the past few years.