Violinist Hannah Barton moves easily between the worlds of classical, rock, and contemporary music. A native Chicagoan, Ms. Barton is an active teacher and performer on violin, viola, and electric “viper” violin.
Ms. Barton has been a member of dozens of small chamber ensembles, beginning when she was four years old. She has worked closely with many composers, both performing and recording new works. Her interest in rock music led to the formation of Method to the Madness, an electric string quartet dedicated to performing rock 'n roll. Her previous quartet, Tesseract, explored electric classical music, playing George Crumb's Black Angels. Ms. Barton's latest chamber venture, the Continental String Ensemble, plays regularly throughout the Chicago area, performing a wide range of styles, from Classical and ragtime to Latin and rock.
A teacher as well as performer, Ms. Barton is a faculty member of the DePaul School of Music, teaching Suzuki and traditional lessons through the community department. She works regularly with the Chicago Youth Symphonies, coaching sectionals and listening to auditions. Ms. Barton serves on the board of the Society of American Musicians.
The proud owner of a seven string electric “flying v” “viper” violin, Ms. Barton enjoys playing many styles of music, including rock, country, and jazz. She has been a guest performer with numerous bands, including Nomadic, Tributosaurus, Earthen Grave, and the Trick Shooter Social Club. She has studied with legendary electric violinists Mark Wood, Joe Deninzon, and Tracy Silverman.
A veteran of symphony orchestras, Ms. Barton has been performing symphonic repertoire for over two decades. Her many orchestras include the Quad City Symphony, Oistrakh Symphony, and Northbrook Symphony. An alumna of the Chicago Youth Symphony, Ms. Barton recently performed as concertmaster at their 65th anniversary concert. Conductors she has worked with include Marin Alsop, Leon Fleisher, Alan Heatherington, and Gustav Meier.
Ms. Barton made her solo debut at age six, playing Vivaldi’s a minor concerto with the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra. Since then, she has appeared as soloist on numerous occasions, including performances of Ravel’s Tzigane, Tchaikovsky’s D Major concerto, and multiple concertos by Mozart. With her sister Sarah Alexander, she has performed Brahms’ “double” and Beethoven’s “triple” concertos. Most recently, she performed Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy with the Dundee Crown high school orchestra.
Ms. Barton began studying violin at age two with her sister Rachel Barton Pine. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Masters Degree from the Lamont School of Music. Her teachers include Pamela Frank, Desiree Ruhstrat, Yumi Hwang-Williams, David Taylor, and Charles Pikler.