Hannah Tam Archives - Curtis Institute of Music

The prize-winning violinist from Hong Kong discusses coming to Curtis at age 12 and managing her personal milestones

“Curtis has done so much [for me]. I basically grew up here. I’ve been here since I was 12. I’m 19, so my whole teenage and childhood years were built here. I’ve opened up a lot as a person and as a musician.” —Hannah Tam

Season 19 of WHYY’s acclaimed On Stage at Curtis continues with a portrait of Hannah Tam. The prize-winning violin student and Hong Kong native entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2018 and studies with Ida Kavafian as the Demeng Foundation Fellow. Ms. Tam previously studied with Michael Ma, Maria Jee, and Chan Kwok Wai at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Junior Music Program.

After making her solo concerto debut at age 11 with the Virtuosi Italiani Chamber Orchestra in Verona, Ms. Tam has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Japan, Finland, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada, and the United States. Her accolades include third prize and audience prize at the 2021 Menuhin International Competition (Junior Division), audience prize at the 2019 Concours Musical International de Montréal “Mini Violin” (as the sole awardee), the Memorial Performance Award at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, and first prize and overall winner at Italy’s Concorso Andrea Postacchini, among others.

Click HERE to watch the On Stage at Curtis episode, or click the video below.

In this episode of On Stage at Curtis, Ms. Tam discusses her early musical studies, growing up in a family of non-musicians in Hong Kong. From a young age, Ms. Tam knew she wanted to pursue a career in music. After confidently sharing her ambitions with her parents—who were initially unsure how to support her dream—she auditioned for Curtis at age 12. Here, she has spent her formative years growing up at the school, where her love for music and her natural ambition have flourished. A driven and goal-oriented person, she thrives on setting personal milestones and finds joy in every facet of her musical life—from chamber music and orchestra rehearsals to solfège, core studies, and private lessons with her longtime mentor and teacher, Ida Kavafian.

Ms. Tam values sincerity and selflessness in performance, especially in chamber settings, where giving without expectation resonates most strongly with her. Though her focus has been on classical music, she’s passionate about jazz and eager to explore it in the future. For Ms. Tam, Curtis has not only shaped her as a musician, but also as a person; it has offered her opportunities, inspiration, and a lifelong foundation. Looking ahead, she dreams of a life filled with travel and performance, embracing every moment of growth.

Live performances featured in the episode include Franz Schubert’s Fantasie in C major, Op. 159; Johann Sebastian Bach’s Gavotte en Rondeau from his Violin Partita No. 3; and Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor.

Photo Credits: 1.) Portrait of Hannah Tam, courtesy of WHYY’s On Stage at Curtis. 2.) Ms. Tam; courtesy of artist. 3.) L-R: Himari Yoshimura, Hannah Tam, and Huei-Chiao Yang at Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center; David DeBalko.