Barbara Hill

THEN:

Before Covid, Barbara was a very active musician in the New England area. Her permanent position as Principal Horn of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra kept her busy with subscription concerts and small chamber ensemble performances, and when not playing with the HSO she could be seen on stage with The Boston Symphony/Pops Orchestras, as well as various other orchestras in the region. As a mom to 4 musical children, their own musical pursuits added to the busy lifestyle!

Barbara Hill soloing with her orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra

NOW:

Barbara was scheduled to play weekly concerts in Boston and Hartford for the remainder of Spring 2020, but since the pandemic hit she can count on 2 fingers the number of concerts she has played. Not only has the current crisis caused a financial toll on her and her family  (the loss of playing opportunities has decreased her income by at least 60%), but she shares in the emotional toll  that can be felt among all performing artists. One bright light through all of this is that she has been able to maintain her teaching at The Hartt School of Music. Along with all teachers, Barbara has had to adapt her teaching style to a nearly virtual one! It has forced her to be creative with opportunities for sharing and performing, which in turn have been almost therapeutic for both her students and herself. 

HOPE:

The drastic change in lifestyle has not been all bad as it created time for her immediate family to spend time together. “We have been able to eat dinner together much more often since March!”

One silver lining during the shutdown for Barbara has been being home to cook and eat dinner with her family nearly every night. And as you can see, they eat well!

While she hasn’t been able to see her extended family in more than 14 months (they live in Canada), Barbara is looking forward to a special family reunion this summer, and the much-welcome return to a busier lifestyle of performing and traveling hopefully as early as the Fall.