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Young Patients Paint Music, Virtuoso to Play
On Thursday, February 9, visual and musical art will come together at the University Children's Hospital in Krakow-Prokocim. American violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine will judge the competition 'Paint Music', and the drawings of the young patients will inspire her to transform the artwork into music during her performance at the hospital.
– A moment of hospital reality will turn into a musical attraction. It is a great joy for the children, as they will have the opportunity to meet someone of such renown and musical talent. Even more so, as Rachel Barton Pine was once a patient of the hospital, having suffered an accident that resulted in the loss of a leg. We also have such patients – says Bartłomiej Pawlak, head of the Hospital Renewal Action Office at the Krakow facility. On February 9 at 10:30, the outstanding American violinist of Polish descent will meet with patients in the hospital auditorium. She will see an exhibition of drawings as part of the competition 'Paint Music' organized for her visit and will select its winners among the young authors. The works will answer what music means to the patients of the Krakow hospital. To ensure that the children’s imaginations transform into beautiful melodies, the invited artist, Rachel Barton Pine, will perform in Poland at the invitation of the Bielecki Art Foundation. On the day of her concert at the Krakow Philharmonic, the violinist will give her first concert for the patients and staff of the University Children's Hospital. Like the artist, the hospital has Polish-American roots, as its construction was initiated by the American Polonia supported by funds from the U.S. government.
The accident halted her career, but did not break it
– Children can be uplifted by the fact that despite Rachel Barton Pine having suffered a serious accident and undergoing many surgeries, she did not give up, achieved success, and continues to thrive in life, still doing what she loves and constantly developing – says Bartłomiej Pawlak, recalling the dramatic event in the violinist's life. After releasing her debut album, when her career was gaining significant momentum, in January 1995, she suffered a serious accident. She was getting off a suburban train when the door caught the strap of her case for her nearly 400-year-old violin and pinned her left arm to the train. The doors did not open, and Rachel was dragged outside for over 100 meters, after which the train pulled her under itself and ran over her, amputating one leg above the knee. She also lost part of the foot of her other leg. The accident could have ended the violinist's career, but her determination did not allow that. Just six months later, she performed on stage in a wheelchair, which she was eventually able to abandon after undergoing many surgeries. After a two-year break, she resumed her career, which is hard to call ordinary.
A child prodigy…
Born in 1974, Rachel Barton Pine began playing the violin at the age of three and was quickly recognized as a 'child prodigy'. At the age of 10, she debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. At 17, she became the youngest and first American to win the J.S. Bach competition in Leipzig. As a teenager, she also won significant awards in Budapest, Montreal, Genoa, and Brussels. She has performed as a soloist with the world's most important orchestras and renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Placido Domingo, and Erich Leinsdorf. However, her musical interests extend far beyond classical music; she has played with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, performed in a heavy metal band, and collaborated with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. She has released 18 albums, including one Grammy-nominated album, one featuring her favorite rock and metal tracks, and many classical pieces, including music from various centuries with demonic undertones or variations of the New Zealand anthem. Depending on the style she performs, she chooses her violins, but her favorite instrument is a violin considered one of the most important and valuable in the world, made in 1742 by Guarneri – the creator of Paganini's favorite instrument. She has dealt with mastery not only in music. She participated in the Olympic torch relay in 1996 in Atlanta and also performed at the opening of the Paralympics in Atlanta. She has performed the national anthem of the USA during Chicago Bulls games, for which she received a hug from Michael Jordan.
…with Polish genes
One of Rachel Barton Pine's musical activities involves the charity foundation she created, which aims to promote classical music and help young people with musical genes. She inherited them from her Polish ancestors. 'I am half Polish on my father's side. My great-grandparents emigrated to America when they were still teenagers – she reveals. She adds that her great-grandparents wanted their children to become true Americans, so they did not allow her grandparents to learn Polish. 'That’s why my dad didn’t pass on any family traditions from the Old World that he could have shared with me – admits Rachel Barton Pine with a smile. 'Thinking about Poland, I think about my heritage – she emphasizes, adding that she cannot wait to connect with it in the land of her ancestors. On Thursday, the young patients of the Krakow hospital will witness her exceptional skills, but concertgoers will also have a similar opportunity. Rachel Barton Pine will perform from February 9 to 11 at the Krakow Philharmonic, Wrocław Philharmonic, and the Main Building of the Warsaw University of Technology. The outstanding violinist will be accompanied by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra under the baton of Michał Nesterowicz, with the concert repertoire including Vivaldi’s 'Four Seasons'. The violinist's debut in her ancestors' homeland will be a performance with a rock and metal repertoire in a prison in Nowa Huta on February 8.
*** About the University Children's Hospital (Source: hospital's website) The University Children's Hospital in Krakow - Prokocim is a last-chance hospital for the most seriously ill children from across the country. Children are treated here in all pediatric and surgical specialties. It is the only facility in the region where the most severe cases of congenital defects, cancers, burns, accident victims, and premature infants with extremely low birth weight receive specialized medical care. Annually, the hospital provides 36,000 hospitalizations and 160,000 specialist consultations. Nearly 6,000 procedures are performed in the operating rooms.
*** Rachel Barton Pine's concert tour includes the following venues: Krakow Philharmonic – 09.02.2012, 19:30 Wrocław Philharmonic – 10.02.2012, 19:30 Warsaw University of Technology – 11.02.2012, 19:30.
The concert program includes: J. Sibelius – Pelleas and Melisande, Op. 46 A. Vivaldi – Four Seasons, Op. 8.