Mary Hunter
Violin
I grew up in a household where you finished what was on your plate, so although I realized that I really wanted to play the violin as soon as I started piano at age eight, I had to wait til I was twelve to start violin. In lieu of a social life, I practiced both instruments faithfully but not always effectively all through high school, and then went to Sussex University to study music. The piano got pretty much dropped at that point, and my social life improved considerably. Grad school at Cornell followed, and I met my fellow-musicologist husband there.
We’ve been in Maine since 1979: I taught music history and theory in a shared position with my husband at Bates until 1997, and then moved to Bowdoin with a whole job to myself. Playing in MSO has been incredibly important to me: I have learned a huge amount about being a good musician from Rohan Smith, I have met wonderful people (take a look at all those bios!) , I’ve had a chance to play pieces that I never otherwise would have, and I was incredibly honored to have been the Board President for a number of years, following the extraordinary presidency of Barbara Burt, and working with the amazing John Teller. I love writing the program notes for MSO — it’s a delightful challenge every year to find something interesting and accessible to say in not too many words about music that often deserves whole volumes.
We have two grown sons who live in Los Angeles and London, so Skype is one of my hobbies, along with chamber music and reading.
Photo credit: © Dennis Griggs/Tannery Hill Studios
