Sirena Huang started taking violin lessons at age 4 and made her professional solo debut at 9 with the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. She has won top prizes in numerous international competitions, delighting audiences worldwide with her virtuosity and charm.
Why you should listen to her:
Only 11 years old when she performed at TED, Sirena Huang is still technically a child. But as anyone who sees her perform can attest, she has a musician’s soul that transcends her years. "Her musical imagination is boundless," said Juilliard dean Stephen Clapp, who described her as "a musical artist with qualities of maturity far beyond her age."
What's most striking in her performance style is the way she combines technical ability with emotional force and nuance. Her fiercely virtuoso performances are profoundly moving, even via podcast. "Amazed," "delighted" and "spellbound" are the words bloggers often use after watching her play.
Blog Posts on TED
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Sirena Huang plays to honor Alice Herz-Sommer – November 6, 2007
TEDTalks favorite Sirena Huang (watch her TEDTalks performance) played in Manhattan on Sunday night; as the New York Times reports today, "A Mendelssohn concerto exquisitely performed by a 13-year-old violinist, Sirena Huang, brought down the house." Huang played as part of a free concert to honor the 103-year-old concert pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, a survivor of the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II, and to honor the thousands of people who did not survive the camp. Herz-Sommer's own story, told by the Times' Clyde Haberman, is worth taking some uninterrupted time to read. It's a testament to the power of music, and a beautiful example of a passionate life well lived.
