In addition to performing, Kelly Hall-Tompkins is a passionate polyglot who speaks and studies now eightlanguages. Fluent in all? Not yet, but she welcomes opportunities to learn more. She has always loved the French language, but subsequent to her completion of a French Minor in college, Ms. Hall-Tompkins realized that she had an intense interest in foreign languages in general. From that point to the present, Ms. Hall-Tompkins continues to study several languages as a hobby. Proficiency in foreign languages has not only fulfilled her interest in linguistics, but it has also become a significant and invaluable professional asset in her international performing career. From speaking in Ukrainian to a concert audience in Kiev about the Fiddler on the Roof recital program, to announcing encores in Japanese while on tour in Japan with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, to using her Spanish as soloist with the Philharmonic of Uruguay to facilitate collaboration with the conductor and orchestra, and discussing details of a violin concerto premiere performance with German composer Siegfried Matthus, languages are for Ms. Hall-Tompkins not only a facilitator for international collaborations, but are a welcomed opportunity to further her personal goal of stronger and deeper bonds with her international collaborators. Following is the complete list of languages in order of proficiency:
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English |
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French |
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German |
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Spanish |
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Japanese |
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Italian |
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Ukrainian |
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A smattering of Russian |
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