Amalia Hall

She is lauded by national and international critics as a “goddess of the violin”, for her “blazing insight and dazzling virtuosity”, “flawless” technique, and “sumptuous and sweet” tone – which create “magical” and “spell-binding” performances. 

“I play from my heart,” says Amalia. “If the music I’m playing captivates the audience, it’s because it first captivated me.”

She had to learn to trust her own interpretation of the music: “Music is so subjective – you get a wide range of opinions from every teacher, listener and colleague. So we have to learn we can never please everybody – but if we’re true to ourselves it will usually convince the audience anyway!”

At the same time, she’s her own harshest critic. “I always feel like I can be so much better. We have to continually reinvent ourselves and stay fresh, to avoid becoming complacent or uncommitted.”

Her drive and determination are supported by the encouragement of her parents and the example of her older sister, Dr Lara Hall, a music academic and concertmaster herself. “I always wanted to emulate Lara – she’s been an amazing role model my entire life, which helped me to set my sights very high as a youngster,” says Amalia.

The youngest of four children, Amalia grew up on Auckland’s North Shore, began violin lessons at age three, and passed Grade 8 at age eight, when most people pass it in their teens. But Amalia, in her teens, instead won all of New Zealand’s national music competitions and, by age 19, she had already completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Auckland.

She is grateful the University’s flexibility meant she could complete her undergraduate degree within two-and-a-half years. “It was an all-round education in all the important elements required for a career in music,” remembers Amalia. “The lecturers were fantastic, like Heath Lees [now Emeritus Professor] – and my violin teacher Dimitri Atanassov was also very inspiring. They upheld a very high standard in my education.” She also appreciated the “notable masterclass opportunities with visiting international artists – one in particular with Pamela Frank was pivotal to my further studies” at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.  

She went on to win five international competitions as well as winning laureate prizes in others – almost always the only New Zealander entered. “I feel very proud to represent New Zealand internationally in the classical music scene,” she says.

Taking up the Orchestra Wellington Concertmaster role was a way to spend more time at home. Amalia – after being the youngest member of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra at ten – became New Zealand’s youngest concertmaster at age 27. But her main aim remains the “unreachable goal of being satisfied with my performance as I walk offstage, and to inspire other musicians to be their best too”.

That never-ending pursuit in music brings Amalia “immense joy”: “I have always felt that even if I was busking on the street – which I used to do a lot – I would be happy, as it would still mean I was sharing music with the world, which I feel like I was born to do.

“Music is a combination of working in extreme detail in the practice room, then finding a sense of complete freedom on stage. There is a thrill and high from knowing that I may have transported people to another place, and helped them have a moment of peace, reflection, distraction, inspiration, understanding, intrigue, or … there are so many other possibilities!”