Rachel Barton Pine, Violin Virtuoso Bridging Boundaries

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes is joined by the remarkable violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine on One Symphony. Dive into Rachel's intriguing blend of genres from her early beginnings with the violin and her Chicago Symphony debut, to her exploration of heavy metal and traditional fiddling styles. Rachel shares how experience with modern composers enhances her interpretation of historical pieces, and dishes about her exhilarating experience with premiering Earl Maneein's Dependent Arising. The talk also includes a deep dive into her latest album featuring Shostakovich's first violin concerto and the origin of her iconic Del Gesù violin. The interview concludes with her love for Chicago.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine performs with the world's leading orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, and Camerata Salzburg. She has appeared on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, PBS NewsHour, A Prairie Home Companion, and NPR’s Tiny Desk. During the pandemic, she performed the entire solo violin part of 24 different violin concertos for her live, weekly series “24 in 24: Concertos from the Inside.”

Her RBP Foundation assists young artists through its Instrument Loan Program and Grants for Education and Career, and runs the groundbreaking Music by Black Composers project which was launched in 2001.
She holds prizes from several of the world’s leading competitions, including a gold medal at the 1992 Bach International Violin Competition in Leipzig, Germany.


Thank you for joining us on One Symphony. Thanks to Rachel Barton Pine for sharing her talents and stories. You can find her music where ever you listen. Music selections performed by Rachel come from the Album Dependent Arising including Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no. 1 and Earl Maneein’s Dependent Arising, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Tito Munoz.  Malek Jandali’s Violin Concerto was performed by Rachel along with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop conducting. 

Thanks to Cedille Records for making this episode possible.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.org including a virtual tip jar if you’d like to support the show. Please feel free to rate, review, or share the show! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music!

00:00 Introduction and Early Musical Journey

00:17 Discovering Heavy Metal and Merging Genres

00:41 Exploring Musical Tastes and Influences

01:29 The Impact of a Chicago Bulls Playoff Game

02:55 Bridging Classical and Rock Genres

04:20 Exploring Different Fiddle Styles

05:03 Incorporating Metal into Classical Music

05:44 The Influence of Shostakovich and Metal Music

08:47 The Role of Music in Social Justice

11:04 The Connection Between Music and History

11:52 The Universality of Classical Music

12:22 Collaboration with Malik Jandali

34:07 The Role of Workshopping in Music

36:05 The Influence of Chicago on Musical Career

 

Rachel Barton: Blending Genres and Bridging Worlds Through Music

 

It's not every day that you encounter a musician who, at a young age, found a passion for both classical and heavy metal music. Rachel Barton's story is a testament to the power of music to transcend boundaries and genres.

 

A Musical Prodigy Meets Heavy Metal

 

Rachel started her journey with the violin at three and a half years old, debuting with the Chicago Symphony at age 10. Around this time, she discovered heavy metal music, which marked her first encounter with the music of Shostakovich. Rachel reflects on her early years, "I enjoyed a variety of music beyond classical. My parents played blues at home, and I was really drawn to heavy metal, especially thrash."

 

A Turning Point: Performing at a Chicago Bulls Game

 

A pivotal moment came when Rachel played the national anthem at a Chicago Bulls playoff game. Her unique rendition caught the public's attention, leading to a realization. "People started approaching me, amazed by the violin's versatility. It was then I realized my mission: to bring listeners to classical music using rock genres."

 

Cross-Genre Exploration: From Heavy Metal to Classical

 

Rachel's journey took an interesting turn as she started exploring heavy metal and other genres on her violin. "I didn't consider myself a crossover artist," she clarifies, "I'm all about performing classical music, but I use my interests in rock to bring new listeners to classical."

 

Intersecting with Bands and Musicians

 

Rachel discovered that many of her favorite bands listened to classical music. "It was enlightening to tell someone, 'Hey, your favorite band likes these composers.' It's a powerful message." This