Violinist Hilary Hahn Withdraws from Concerts Due to Pinched Nerve

By Laurie Niles: Last weekend violinist Hilary Hahn took to Instagram to let everyone know that she would be extending her absence from the concert stage through September 8 in order to heal from a double pinched nerve. She had already canceled her July performances for the same reason. As a result, she will miss her planned tour of Europe with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, a solo recital in Xi’an, and season-opening dates with the Shanghai Symphony. "As you may already know," she said in a video statement, "I am suffering from a double pinched nerve and have been focused on a safe and sustainable path to recovery with my medical team. Unfortunately, that means no violin for the rest of the summer!" While injury is not uncommon among violinists and musicians, it is often swept under the rug. People continue to play while injured in order to keep their gigs going, often worsening their physical problems. Perhaps for these reasons, Hilary's candid and public disclosure generated an outpouring of support. Tens of thousands of people from around the world hit that little heart button on Instagram and nearly one thousand left comments applauding her commitment to healing: "Wishing you well. You are doing the right thing! Please rest and heal. Thank you for normalizing the time it takes to heal." Many also shared their own journeys with injury: surgeries, nerve problems, etc. "I really appreciate all of your comments, your supportive messages," Hilary said. "It's been heartening to see how many people have empathy for this sort of a thing, and I'm also sorry to see how many people have gone through it themselves. We would also like to applaud Hilary's courage and wish her a smooth and thorough recovery. We look forward to hearing from her again, when she is ready!

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A post shared by Hilary Hahn (@violincase)

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