Known for her vibrancy and captivating approach to the musical tradition, Makenzie Ann Hart is a passionate violinist driven by the vision of a world reunified through music. She was born in Salt Lake City to her devoted parents Corine, a classical violin teacher, and Brody, a composer, arranger, and choral singer. At just six months old, Makenzie received her first violin. Her parents affectionately recall how she would wrap her tiny 1/32-sized violin in a blanket and push it around the house in a baby buggy. She was eager to begin her first private violin lessons at the age of three, studying first with Denise Willey, followed by Deborah Moench, all the while continuing to work with her mother at home.
Her dreams of becoming a concert violinist were cultivated while still a young girl, and she grew up performing classical and original compositions with her five younger siblings around the world in their family chamber ensemble HartStrings. She was admitted with a full scholarship to the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City at age ten and soon afterward began her studies with Eugene Watanabe, known as the first artist in history to obtain a double degree in both Violin and Piano at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Makenzie became an avid chamber musician and passionate performer, playing concerts across the United States and abroad to Brazil, India, and China, even atop the Great Wall. As lead violinist, she toured in Germany with the Ballet West Academy, collaborating with the Berlin Ballet Company. She has soloed with the Utah Symphony, Timpanogos Symphony, and Utah Valley Symphony, and performed in notable venues throughout the nation, appearing at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Eccles Theater, Abravanel Hall, and Alice Tully Hall.
While in high school, Makenzie’s committed musicianship won her the Starling Scholarship for future top concert violinists, receiving a generous $24,500 awarded annually toward her musical education. She won the top prize at the Stradivarius Violin Competition and twice won the strings competition in the Southwestern States division of the Music Teachers National Association. Her other numerous awards and competitions include three winning performances at the MTNA Competition, and two Utah Symphony Salute-to-Youth contests.
She was thrilled to receive her admission to the Juilliard School in 2021, where she earned her BM under distinguished chamber musician and world-renowned performer Laurie Smukler. Makenzie spent the summers between semesters as a resident Bluegrass fiddler at American historical reenactment sites, playing hundreds of performances in Nauvoo, Illinois. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic and frequently collaborated with Juilliard Dance, such as her recent performance in the Juilliard Spring Dances in 2024. Maintaining a wide and adventurous repertoire has brought her opportunities for constant inspiration and improvisation, and she enjoys premiering new musical works, working closely with Broadway actors, commissioning works from her friends in composition, and recording projects with independent jazz, pop, bluegrass, and contemporary artists.
Since being at Juilliard, Makenzie has had the pleasure to perform under conductors including John Adams and David Robertson. She has also had the privilege of working directly with composer Nicholas Britell, violinist Midori Goto, as well as many other prominent artists.
Aside from her musical studies and community service, she loves going running in the city, hiking in nature, and spending time with her family and friends. she does all she can to soak up the vibrant historic, culinary, and arts scene of magical Manhattan.
Presently, Makenzie is pursuing her Master’s degree in Violin Performance at The Juilliard School with world-renowned American violinist Hilary Hahn, a three-time Grammy Award winner who joined the Juilliard faculty just this year. Makenzie considers her current position to be a profound gift and privilege.