Violin virtuoso Hilary Hahn visits IU

Hilary Hahn, a self-described “modern troubadour,” will stop Saturday at the IU Auditorium. The Grammy-award-winning artist, who is releasing her 10th solo album in the spring, will play a five-piece recital, mostly of composers born in the 19th century, including Brahms and Mozart. \n“They all emphasize different elements of their time,” she said. \nHahn, 27, graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at 19. She said she began playing violin at the age of 4, after witnessing a lesson in New York City. By age 14, she was practicing up to six hours a day. \n“I try not to play more than six hours a day because it’s hard to maintain physically,” she said. \nBecause Hahn tours all over the world, performing simple day-to-day tasks has become more of a challenge for her. She said she has a few things she likes to do every day, though she said she has no rigid schedule. \n“Every day I try to eat and drink water, play, keep in touch with people and make administrative decisions,” she said. \nWhen on the road, the musician said she also tries to maintain an online journal for her Web site, www.hilaryhahn.com. Hahn has been blogging about her travels and sharing photographs since 2002. She talks about the trials of being a traveling musician as well as meeting personal heroes of hers. She also photographs everything from the dazzling concert halls she performs in to the view from her hotel window. \nThough Hahn mostly plays a classical repertoire, she said she’s performed with several contemporary artists, including “... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.” Hahn said she enjoys playing music outside her genre. \n“I like that it shows me a different approach to classical music,” she said. “My classical training helps me absorb contemporary music differently, as well.” \nThough she regularly performs with the premier orchestras of the world, Hahn said she doesn’t feel like she is at the pinnacle of her success. \n“You have to be your own hardest critic, but you have to believe in yourself, too,” she said. \nHahn said hard, steady work is something she consistently strives for to keep her level of skill high. \n“Keep chipping away at it,” she advised budding musicians. “It’s better to save some energy for the next day and be steady, and really push yourself when you’re tempted to slack off.” \nHahn will play at 8 p.m. at the IU Auditorium. Student tickets are available for $13 to $23 and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium or through Ticketmaster.