By Jet Burnham | [email protected]

Madison Hansen began playing the violin at age 7 and her love of music has continued to grow. She has been trained by distinguished musicians and excelled in multiple music groups inside and outside of school. She has been concertmaster all three years in Herriman High School’s orchestra, and served as Orchestra President this past year.

HHS orchestra director Nicholas Jackson describes her as an expressive, thoughtful, and diligent student.

“Her attention to detail with her musicianship are matched only by her organization skills and focus as an academic student,” he said. “She has maturity beyond her age and represents the best of the best in the orchestra program.”

Hansen is an honor roll student, graduating with a 3.996 GPA and was named HHS’s Instrumental Music Sterling Scholar and the state sterling scholar runner-up in her division.

“Often, one of our Sterling Scholar candidates stands out; Madison is one of those candidates,” HHS Sterling Scholar Advisor Jackie Burr said. “Much more than her gift for playing the violin, Madison understands her talent can be used as a tool to serve others.”

During the initial COVID shutdown last spring, Hansen played her violin for neighbors who were stuck inside their homes. She and her siblings performed outdoor pop-up concerts for the community.

“I wanted people to know that through these difficult times, we could still stand strong,” she said. 

She also performed for children in remote villages in Africa in 2019. She raised money to purchase violins for impoverished schools there. 

“This trip taught me that music is a universal language and that even though I could not speak the language, I was still able to love and connect with them through music,” she said. “This principle has influenced me to always share my music so that I can experience the bonding of music.”

Hansen is headed to BYU to major in Violin Performance and to join an orchestra or string quartet.

“I love to perform,” she said. “Any opportunities available or offered to me, I take. Performing helps me learn how to control nerves. Not only this, I am able to share my music and do what I love.”