2 VC 'Artists' Called Up to Replace Pregnant Hilary Hahn

It has been announced today that VC 'Artist' Ray Chen and VC 'Rising Star' Simone Porter will replace Hilary Hahn for engagements in Houston and Montreal - due to the upcoming birth of her first child.

26 year old Australian VC 'Artist' Ray Chen will perform Sibelius Violin Concerto on September 17th and 19th with conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

18 year old American VC 'Rising Star' Simone Porter will perform Barber Violin Concerto on September 25th, 26th and 27th with conductor Andres Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Karen Gomyo, Sarah Chang and Viktoria Mullova will replace summer engagements with the Cincinnati Symphony and BBC Philharmonic.

"Hilary will miss the three concerts because she is having a baby this summer and is scheduling a short maternity leave,” IMG Artists have said in a statement, “ ...until her return to the stage in mid-November she wishes everyone wonderful concerts.”

A student of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn School, in March of this year Simone was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Development Grant – and she has recently made solo debuts with the Seattle Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony.