Hilary Hahn withdraws from Proms over injury

Violinist Hilary Hahn has announced with regret that, due to a persistent injury, she will be cancelling all performances through November 2025.

Last year, Hahn initially took a seven-month hiatus after being diagnosed with double nerve entrapment, before returning to the stage in February 2025.

In a recent social media post, Hahn wrote:

“While I thought I was fully recovered from my injury last season, I’m not. I am so sad to say that I must cancel my performances through November. I’m proud of the year of hard work it took to get back to the stage. It was amazing to play music with colleagues and for audiences again.”

She had originally been scheduled to perform the Dvořák Violin Concerto with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra at the BBC Proms next week. German violinist Isabelle Faust will step in to replace her at both the Proms and the Grafenegg Festival.

Hahn added that this time she will be pursuing a more aggressive treatment plan:

“This time, I’ll be pursuing a more aggressive treatment. I have a great support team in place: they are optimistic and the prognosis is good. I have a lot more left to say on the violin and I’m not giving up! I will miss you and I hope to see you all soon.”

Hahn’s health issues first arose in June 2024, when she canceled several performances due to a respiratory illness. The following month, she was diagnosed with double nerve entrapment—a common occupational injury for musicians, often caused by nerve compression in the neck, shoulders, or upper back.

At the time, Hahn explained in a video statement that she was focusing on a safe and thorough recovery, cancelling concerts including appearances in São Paulo, Berkshire, and Vail until September.

She remained on leave for seven months, avoiding intense performance and travel, and shared a recovery update in December 2024. By February 2025, she announced her return to the stage—but it now appears her injuries had not fully healed, leading to this latest setback.