The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

“If you weren’t a string player, what other profession do you think you would have pursued?”

The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

Canadian Violin Violinist, James Ehnes:

“I’d love to be a pianist … outside of music, it would have been something scientific or mechanical … or possibly creative writing”

English Violinist, Tasmin Little:

“When I was very young, I wanted to be a nurse … but I think I would most likely have become a psychologist – as I am so interested in people and how different, as well as similar, we all are!”

VC Artist Violinist, Augustin Hadelich:

“If I wasn’t a violinist, I’d be a travel agent! I often feel like a travel agent already, with how much time I spend planning schedules and booking flights!”

American Violin Soloist, Anne Akiko Meyers:

“A globe-trotting painter or designer of some sort”

Dutch Violinist, Simone Lamsa:

“There are so many interesting professions out there, but I honestly could not imagine actually being anything other than a musician…”

VC Artist Violinist, Ray Chen:

“I used to think that I wanted to be a doctor, because the goal of a doctor is to also heal people and make them feel better. Now that my little sister is a doctor I realize there’s just one unfortunate obstacle in my dreams of becoming “Dr Chen”: I don’t got the smarts… better stick to practicing the violin!”

American Violinist, VC Artist Stefan Jackiw:

“Either an actor or a psychotherapist. I’m fascinated by performing and by unpacking the human mind”

Canadian Violin Soloist, Lara St John:

“Oooo …. paleontology”

Berlin Philharmonic Concertmaster, VC Artist Violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley:

“Mountaineer!”

Violin Virtuoso & Fashion Model Filip Pogady:

“I would probably have become a pianist … I love the fact that you can have control over so many voices”

Russian-American Violin Soloist, Philippe Quint:

“When I was a kid I wanted to become a chess player, a soccer player, a detective and a cosmonaut. Nowadays, while being glued to violin for most of the time – I like to experiment with film, theatre and music videos in different capacities. I probably would end up there… somewhere”

American Violin Soloist, Rachel Barton Pine:

“If I wasn’t a violinist, I wouldn’t be me! But if I hadn’t become a soloist, I would have been a concertmaster, or a professor, or a full-time chamber musician”

VC Artist Violinist, Paul Huang:

“Pilot … or a police sergeant”

VC Artist Violinist, Angelo Xiang Yu:

“Professional chef, as I love cooking … or pop singer!”

VC Artist Cellist, Kian Soltani:

“Movie director … film actor … or film score music composer“

Armenian-American Violist, Kim Kashkashian:

“One of the healing professions … psychologist, homeopath or body work”

LSO First Violinist “Queen of Bling”, Maxine Kwok-Adams:

“I always had this idea that I would have been a great buyer for a crazily eclectic boutique … but maybe that’s just because I love shopping so much”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Fedor Rudin:

“Maybe I’d play another instrument … I really love the piano, oboe, horn and the timpani … or, maybe a conductor”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Ji Won Song:

“Dentist … I love crafting things with my hand … and combining it with my obsession for details, I think I might have enjoyed being a dentist”

VC Artist Violinist, Igor Pikayzen:

“Diplomat … or football player, had I had the talent”

University of Michigan Associate Violin Professor, Danielle Belen:

“Probably something in the visual arts … photography, design, architecture … or maybe something fashion related … I have always been fascinated by clothing and have dreamt of designing a collection of my own”

University of Music Detmold Violin Professor, Koh Gabriel Kameda:

“Maybe I would have become Batman!”

Australian National Academy of Music Head of Violin, Dr Robin Wilson:

“I was very interested in exploring English literature in my mid to late teens, although I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to devote to reading … I was always curious to understand more about the rest of the world and what is was about the ‘classics’ that made them so great”

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Violin Professor, Grigory Kalinovsky:

“If I wasn’t a violinist, I’d probably be either a science teacher or a psychologist of some sort. In both cases, you work with people’s minds – either putting information into them, or helping to sort out what’s already there.”

American Violist and Instagram Star, ThatViolaKid, Drew Alexander Forde:

“I probably would be aiming to be a professional gamer … or coach for an ESports team”

VC Young Artist Cellist: Santiago Canon Valencia:

“I would probably be either a photographer … painter … or a guitarist in a band!”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Kerson Leong:

“Good chance I would have become some sort of sportsman … since I’ve always had a lot of physical energy and did quite a variety of sports when I was much younger”

VC Young Artist Violist, Matthew Lipman:

“If I weren’t a violist, I would probably be an architect … I am obsessed with detail and patterns, and I actually used to design houses as a childhood hobby”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Nathan Meltzer:

“I think some part of me is always trying to be a comedian”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Simone Porter:

“I would try my hand at journalism … because the pursuit, excavation, and shaping of meaningful stories is intoxicating!”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Kevin Zhu:

“Very honestly … I have no idea”

VC Young Artist Violinist, Luke Hsu: “I probably would have been a pianist, since piano was my first instrument. Otherwise, if I wasn’t a musician, I probably would have been a tourist blogger/vlogger. I love to travel!“

VC Artist Attacca Quartet Violinist, Keiko Tokunaga:

“I wanted to be a voice actress for Japanimation when I was younger. I think I would have chosen a profession that requires speaking”

VC Artists Dover Quartet Violinist, Bryan Lee:

“If I weren’t a string player I might be a bow maker. I’ve recently developed a love for all things bow related and that includes an interest in bow maker. It’s hard to get completely away from music!”

Australian Funster, TwoSet Violinist, Eddy Chen:

“Violist”

Australian Funster, TwoSet Violinist, Brett ‘Bang’ Yang:

“Professional napper”

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