Heidi Braun-Hill
How long have you played violin? Pretty much my whole life! I started violin lessons when I was 3 years old. My sister Heather also plays violin professionally in the Boston area. I am so lucky to be able to work with her as part of my normal work life!
Heidi practicing as a young child
Where did you go to school? I went to Boston University and studied with Peter Zazofsky. Peter totally transformed my playing and taught me so much. I am forever indebted to him.
When did you start playing professionally? At age 16. My family was living in Arkansas at the time. The Arkansas Symphony had a violin opening. I took the audition and won.
How long have you played in the Boston area? Almost 30 years. I came to Boston as a freshman in college and never left.
On a random weekend, where are you likely to be found on stage? Most weekends, you can find me playing a Bach cantata on Sunday morning with Emmanuel Music on Newbury Street. I can also be found in the pit of a Boston Lyric Opera production, on a run-out with Boston Pops, on Symphony Hall stage with Boston Phil, or possibly at Boston Ballet. There are lots of others but there are too many to list here.
I know your husband is a professional horn player and that together you have two kids. What's been the biggest challenge raising your family as two professional musicians in Boston? What has been the greatest gift? Combining parenting and freelancing is really hard. There's no support system for parents with our work hours. We all have to piece it together the best we can, and at the end of the day, somehow be ok with it. It's a lot of evenings of not being home for them which can be sad sometimes. However, I think our kids (and all of the kids of musicians I know) are flexible, sensitive, and resilient as people. And they know how to do things for themselves which is empowering. And now that mine are older, I think they're proud that their parents are musicians. That's what they tell us, anyway.
Heidi, with her two children and husband, professional horn player Whitacre Hill.
Is there any specific support you wish was available to freelancers? Childcare comes to mind immediately, and not just for freelancers but for everyone. After that, help with parking, please! It's infuriating that we have to park for 3-4 hours for a typical rehearsal, but the city only lets you park on a block for 2 hours at a time. Many of us have work-arounds but they aren't guaranteed to help you avoid getting a parking ticket.
“What’s your favorite Boston area coffee shop?” Any Starbucks for when I'm needing a caffeine boost to help me get through the day.