# Edward W. Hardy

Edward W. Hardy (born January 12, 1992) is an American composer, music director, violinist, and violist. He is known as the composer, co-conceiver, music director, and violinist of the Off-Broadway show The Woodsman and is the owner of The Black Violin.

## Quotes

* Mama, now I can breathe,...“This is a classical piece that reflects our current time, and as an artist, that is my job–to bring light into the darkness, to convey the pain of what I witness and experience, to inspire change…and, if I’m lucky, to escape the reality of America. Music is, and will always be, my therapy.
** From an interview in “How Critically Acclaimed Violinist Edward W. Hardy Is Transforming Mood Into Music” Forbes (2021 Feb 23)
* People who are more privileged might have a history of violinists in their heritage. I’m the only musician in my family, which makes it a little difficult with questions like: “What College should I go to?” or “Where should I be playing?” It is difficult, and there are a lot people telling you not to [pursue it] because it’s so hard. Sometimes it can feel discouraging, but I’m someone who’s very driven all the time, especially in the face of negativity. It’s rare, in theatre, to see someone who looks like me and writes music, so that also drives me.
** From an interview in “How The Composer of The Woodsman Found His Passion” Playbill (2016 Oct 25)
* The purest way to communicate the human condition is through the beauty of music.
** From an interview in “My Favorite Song: Edward W. Hardy of 'The Woodsman'” NewYork.com (2016 May 13), “‘Why we joined the union’ - Edward W. Hardy” Allegro Magazine - Local 802 AFM (2020 Feb 4)
* Ultimately I think about who I want to inspire, and I think it’s important to have people who look like me to inspire other people from my community to join orchestras.
** From an interview in “How Critically Acclaimed Violinist Edward W. Hardy Is Transforming Mood Into Music” Forbes (2021 Feb 23)
* Another highlight was performing for Nas at his Watches of Switzerland and Haute Living event last year. Although I felt prepared as I arranged the backing tracks for my performance, I was extremely nervous. I honestly couldn’t figure out why because I have over 21 years of experience performing around the country, but this performance felt different. Maybe it was the legend himself or maybe it was extremely important to me, but I haven’t experienced a performance like that in a while. It’s funny that friends and family members of mine were telling me about how much they love Nas, the impact he had on their lives and how cool it was that I’d be performing for him. An old teacher of mine used to tell me, “if you’re nervous, then that means the performance is very important to you.” It’s quite possible that’s what it was, or it’s that I was star-struck, or I kept thinking about my family. I ended up having a great time performing and felt silly I was nervous to begin with.
** On performing for Nas in “Q&A With Composer And Musician, Edward W. Hardy” Haute Living (2020 Jan 20)
* I composed original music to reflect the period in history and to pay homage to L. Frank Baum's touching story. The exploration of different genres of music (i.e. romantic, classical, modern, and folk) was used to express a purer sense of the emotions and the intentions of Baum's characters. There is a freedom in composing original music in a period piece. This story takes place in the mid-1800's, it is a fantasy that parallels the realities of that time in history. Oz is a dark and mysterious place, where evils abound, and there is an unknown about the future. Oddly, there are many similarities in the world today.
** On composing the musical score in The Woodsman in “Edward W. Hardy's Wonderful World” The Pickwyck (2016 May 8), 'Quotes - Edward W. Hardy ' IMDb, "The Woodsman (Original Off-Broadway Solo Recording)" Oz Fandom

## Quotes about Edward W. Hardy

* "A master in his craft, he possesses a natural skill in every aspect of his career, bringing musical compositions to life with his own signature flair. However, Hardy is also constantly pushing himself to evolve and challenge himself in new areas of his career, whether it’s taking on new genres of music or new projects, he does so with determination and an extremely charming and amenable attitude that has made him a natural star in whatever role he’s in.”
** Paige Mastrandrea, as quoted in the Haute Living publication (Entrepreneur, One on One), “Q&A With Composer And Musician, Edward W. Hardy” (2020 Jan 20).
* "Me, Dr. Harmon, and the rest of the NOCO Center for Arts Entrepreneurship are so excited to have Mr. Hardy be a part of our team, serving as the Senior Director of Operations and Artist-Entrepreneur in Residence for the center!"
** Dr. Sarah Off, University of Northern Colorado Assistant Professor of Violin & Music Business, as quoted in the BroadwayWorld publication “Edward W. Hardy And UNCO Faculty To Present GRADUATE SALON At UNC Campus Commons” (2022 Sep 28).
* "Edward W. Hardy is a DA student at the University of Northern Colorado. Even before attending UNC, Eddie had built up an impressive resume of recordings, compositions, publications, and even produced an off-Broadway show in New York City!"
** Jubal Fulks, University of Northern Colorado Professor of Violin & Head of String Area, as quoted in the Shoutout Colorado publication "Meet Jubal Fulks | Violin professor and performer" (2022 Oct 18).

## External links

* The official Edward W. Hardy web site
* IMDb entry on Hardy