Hilary’s agent signs child violinist
NewsBarely had defecting IMG V-P Naomi Ives settled behind her new desk at K D Schmid with star client Hilary Hahn than she has signed up Himari, the Japanese child who has been making cutesie videos since she was about six years old.
Lately, she has taken courses at Curtis.
Himari is now 12.
Editorialising is otiose.
Himari says: ‘I am really excited to be joining KD Schmid. I truly appreciate my teacher Ms. Ida and all who have been guiding me. I want to learn more repertoire and become an artist who can tell the wonderfulness of music to many people in the world through the violin that I love.”
I have been a child semi-prodigy. So I know more than most what being a child prodigy entails. I feel nothing but sadness for this poor girl. She most likely started music because her parents decided it, not because she wanted to. She most likely spends at least half her day practicing. Her childhood was most likely inexistent, with no socialisation, no friends, no play. I’ve known girl prodigies whose parents forbid them to have any contact whatsoever with boys their age when they started to become teenagers. I’m sure this little girl has dreams, other than the torture of practicing 8 hours everyday and having no hobbies or friends. Unfortunately when you’re young, there are no alternatives, there’s only what your parents tell you to do. I hope one day she will rebel, and start living a life of her own choosing. As for parents, they should be prosecuted for child abuse. And that agent who signed her on has no moral compass whatsoever
And yet, here we are publicizing her and talking about her.
Well, she certainly plays like she loves it.
I happen to know Himari and she is a very happy, well adjusted and delightful young girl who loves to play the violin. When she is in Japan, which is half the year, she attends regular school and socializes with children her own age (she has many friends). At The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studies with Ida Kavafian, she has many friends and is adored by all. Oh, by the way, she loves to read, bake and play with her adorable dog (she does not practice eight hours a day). All in all, Himari is a very normal and happy twelve year old child. I’m sorry that your childhood was such an unhappy one.
As to your comment about Naomi Ives, Himari’s manager, I can assure you that she is an individual of the highest integrity who possesses a strong moral compass – Hilary Hahn would not have gone with her to KD Schmid if that were not the case. Ms. Ives will nurture Himari’s career very carefully and intelligently, without a doubt.
I think she is already living life of her own choosing!!
Sad indeed! One can feel sorry for your lost childhood but please don’t suppose that all gifted children suffer as you did, especially in a case where you kno nothing about her. Apart from a few hi-profile cases thruout history, most children love the challenge and the joy of artistic achievement.
Not all child artists suffer as they live their lives as performers. As a 4 year old, I begged to play the violin, but was not allowed to until I was 6, advancing quite quickly. I was no prodigy, but I loved the violin so much, that had my parents pushed me, I would have gladly gone ahead. We shouldn’t think all child artists suffer. With the proper guidance, they can carve out wonderful lives. Making music is so much joy, even the hard parts.
The brief but spectacular career of Lilit Gampel serves as a cautionary tale: https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/09/archives/lilit-gampel-12-violinist-plays-like-mature-artist.html
how adorable! she looks like an oriental anne-sophie mutter at age 14 recording the mozart concerti with karajan.
hope to hear her play lots of mozart and vivaldi (ya know, happy childhood music.)
happy year of the dragon!
I wonder, if Slipped Disc had existed in the 1760s, if we would have heard about the ‘cutesie’ concerts of the young Mozart (actually Mozarts, since his Wolfgang’s sister also performed)? There is nothing cute about the YT videos of her performances except for those who think a little girl is by definition cute.
Whatever happened to not exploiting child prodigies?