Having begun learning the violin by the Suzuki Method just before her fourth birthday, at five Hilary Hahn went to Klara Berkovich in Baltimore, then to Jascha Brodsky (the last surviving pupil of Ysaÿe) at the Curtis Institute from ten to seventeen, and finally to Jaime Laredo and Felix Galimir. Thus she was exposed at first or second hand to Franco-Belgian, German and more recent USA traditions, although of course it is difficult to determine how much such aspects of genealogy are outworked through modern pedagogy. Her university studies included literature, history, languages and music, making her perhaps more widely educated than many figures in this book.

Hahn has travelled extensively, playing more than 1300 concerts in over forty countries...