Holly Mulcahy

After hearing Scheherazade at an early age, Holly Mulcahy fell in love with the violin and knew it would be her future. She currently serves as concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. She spends her summers at the celebrated Grand Teton Music Festival. Believing in music as a healing and coping source, Holly founded Arts Capacity, a charitable 501(c)3 which focuses on bringing live chamber music, art, artists, and composers to prisons. Arts Capacity addresses many emotional and character-building issues people face as they prepare for release into society. Holly performs on a 1917 Giovanni Cavani violin, previously owned by the late renowned soloist Eugene Fodor, and a bespoke bow made by award winning master bow maker, Douglas Raguse.

All Roads Lead To Carnegie

Sun, May 6, 2012 by Holly Mulcahy

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? I could answer that with the punch line to the old joke, but it’s more interesting to see how six orchestras are preparing to go there for the Spring for Music Festival. For six straight evenings from May 7 through May 12, these north American orchestras will travel to New York’s famous venue, Carnegie Hall. Each orchestra has a diverse and exceptional program, and many have customized their repertoire to be regionally insightful. Besides looking through the Spring for Music Festival website, which has an … Continue Reading

Revisiting Titanic

Wed, Apr 13, 2016Fri, Apr 13, 2012 by Holly Mulcahy

Growing up in Denver it was easy to be fascinated with the history of the RMS Titanic; after all, Denver was home to the Unsinkable Molly Brown and her house is still a popular tourist attraction. And every couple of years I would get a tour of her house and a bit more of the history absorbed. But it was a random statement from my Ear Training professor during my Peabody Conservatory days that I first became interested in the Titanic musicians.

Not Bad For a Local Boy Part 2

Fri, Feb 26, 2016Mon, Apr 2, 2012 by Holly Mulcahy

“Not bad for a local boy.” That was the phrase that stuck in my colleague’s mind from a conversation between students at the Aspen Music Festival and School when discussing violin soloist, Eugene Fodor. Hearing this story from my colleague, reminded me of some of the backhanded compliments musicians bestow on one another I have heard over time. They usually go something like this: I can’t believe how good that flute player is in that per service orchestra, she must be hating life, and she’s been there 20 years! [divider_flat] Did you hear … Continue Reading

Not Bad For a Local Boy

Fri, Feb 26, 2016Mon, Mar 5, 2012 by Holly Mulcahy

Upon getting my website redesigned, the developer recommended including a page about my violin. He asked me to write a little blurb about it and include something that makes it personal and special to me in addition to the obligatory who owned it, who made it, etc. Remembering how the violin found me was quite a nice memory and a little bittersweet since the person I purchased it from passed away this time last year. I had all but given up finding “the” violin, but while visiting my parents in my home … Continue Reading

Ignorance, Stupidity, And A New Year’s Resolution

Fri, Jan 6, 2012 by Holly Mulcahy

I often take for granted how much musical knowledge has been stuffed into my head since the first time I picked up a violin at age 10. And like many of my colleagues who have equal or more knowledge than me, it is so easy for us to judge others ignorance or stupidity when they thoughtlessly criticize the career of a musician. So easy is it for me to get up on my soap box and defend the ubiquitous and offensive comments people make in the online newspaper articles about any given … Continue Reading