INTERVIEW: Electric Violinist Lindsey Stirling

String instruments aren’t just for performing classical music—dynamic American-born violinist Lindsey Stirling, is living proof of that.

Her performances incorporate myriad musical styles, such as dub-step and hip-hop, into the distinctive violin riffs and spectacular choreography that give her live shows immense appeal.

I don’t know, that’s my question! I mean, it’s really crazy, I’m a girl from Gilbert, Arizona a small town, I’ve started putting videos on YouTube and it’s crazy that I’m in the Czech Republic doing a multiple shows here. My Czech fans, every time I came to the Prague they’ve been so awesome, so vibrant and full of energy. So passionate.

One of my favorite days on tour ever was spent in Prague, we had a day off and we rented (I know they don’t do this anymore) a Segway and had a Segway tour. And we, the crew and I, got on the Segways, rode around, and your city is absolutely, stunningly beautiful, people were so nice. We ended the night in the main square, got ice cream, it was a really magical, perfect day.

Phew, one of the first milestones, I think, was when I released my video “Crystallize” and I remember up to that point, I’d been doing YouTube for like six, maybe eight months and my videos got maybe 100,000 views a week. When “Crystallize” got a million views in one day I remember thinking that…it can’t be real, but it was! And in that moment my life just changed. 

Another milestone was when I went on my first tour, it was a big risk, I didn’t have a label, didn’t have funding, so I was paying for the buses, trailer, all the gear. Just a really big expense and my agents were a little worried. None of us really knew that anyone was actually going to show up to see the show. And the tour sold out and it was then when I’ve realized I’m gonna be touring a lot, I love this. I love being on stage, meeting my fans.

You know, I love when I see people come to me and share with me, just like you did, that they play the violin now and picked it up because I did and that means so much to me as an artist. [I was] in my lessons, orchestra classes and playing the same music, the same way it has been played hundreds of years ago and I thought, music evolved, music changed, why do I have to play the violin like composers, who I respect and love, but why can’t there be another side to it as well? I paired it with my favorite kinds of music and made it something new that’s appealing to people who never thought that they would like violin. 

I would say it’s my favorite show, this tour is my favorite one that I’ve ever put together. I’m so proud of it. It is completely different from my last show and it will take them on a journey. I hope that they’ll laugh, cry, be excited and feel everything.