Emma Anderson is a senior from Austin, Minnesota. Emma is a violinist majoring in music performance and is the recipient of this year’s Hilary Hahn Scholarship. 

“I have been playing violin for 10 years. The event that really sparked an interest in the violin specifically was when I went to a concert with my mom to listen to our hometown’s symphony orchestra. The way they all moved together creating such a beautiful whirlwind of color through sound fascinated and amazed me. It looked like so much fun! 

“I chose Ball state for two main reasons. One is that I know that my violin teacher, Professor Vayman, will help me get to the level of performance that I need to achieve my goals as a performer. All the music faculty here at Ball State University are fantastic! The second reason is the financial aid I received. It was the best choice in terms of affordability. 

 “My fondest memory so far at Ball State is playing as the concertmaster of the Fall opera my freshman year. The opera was Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, and it was one of the hardest and most engaging challenges I’ve had so far.”