Making Menuhin

A musician, dancer and writer, 14-year-old Shannon Ma uses her violin and her pen to defy stereotypes about Asian musicians and recognize them for their passions and abilities.

After winning the Menuhin Competition Oslo 2010, Kerson Leong experienced a turning point. He was just 13, but the Ottawa native was about to embark on a journey that would take him to cities across the globe and position him as “Canada’s next great violinist.”

Growing up in South Dakota, Maya Anjali Buchanan loved the open space and mountains, and doing her share on the family farm. But learning violin in a rural area is challenging. In this debut episode of Making Menuhin, we trace Buchanan’s roots in Rapid City and her path to becoming a senior competitor in the Menuhin Competition.

In this episode of Making Menuhin, we bring you the story and music of 14 year-old Keila Wakao who uses her 100-year-old violin to replicate the human voice and bring comfort and healing during times of crisis.

Talented young violinists from around the world share how they got started, the teachers who inspired them, and the sacrifices they've made to get to the prestigious Menuhin Competition.