Themes from a Violinist’s Life

Rebecca Fischer

“Artists make the world, and in her poignant essay collection, Rebecca Fischer forges bridges and thoroughfares of belonging. With the exacting precision borne of her dedication as an accomplished musician and a narrative that beautifully coalesces around music as an act of human connection, Fischer shows us just how powerful the artist’s role can be in a world that cries out for our tending and our mending.” —Vijay Gupta, violinist, MacArthur Fellow, and founder of Street Symphony

“In The Sound of Memory, I see a woman courageously tackling the deep question of how to stay artistically valid while nurturing all the other needs that come with being a mother, partner, and mentor. Rebecca Fischer is one of those rare individuals whose insatiable curiosity keeps her constantly moving forward and contributing to a greater good. She is an inspiration.” —Nina Lee, cellist, Brentano Quartet

In The Sound of Memory, concert violinist Rebecca Fischer wrestles with the life of a performing artist in the twenty-first century, the physical and material components of memory, the nature of musical inheritance, and the gifts and pressures of a calling that runs generations deep. From memories of breastfeeding on concert tours, to the surprising ways her body remembers music she heard in the womb, to witnessing her children’s own evolving musicianship, Fischer shares her perspective as the first violinist of the renowned Chiara String Quartet and parent to young people exploring their gender identities amidst social upheaval and a pandemic. As she revisits geographies that have left marks on her life and creative practice over the years, she examines what we owe to our families, our communities, our art, and ourselves—ultimately exhorting us to consider both the individual and communal resonances of artistic expression and the meaning it brings to our shared lives.