German violinist Augustin Hadelich played "America the Beautiful" as he and 80 other people were sworn in as U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Manhattan Federal Court last Wednesday.
"Augustin's rendition was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes," said Robert Katzmann, the U.S. Circuit Court judge who conducted the ceremony.
Hadelich was met with praises following the ceremony by court workers and fellow new American citizens, hailing everywhere from Albania to Uzbekistan. They are among 27,000 others who will take the oath of citizenship in ceremonies through Sept. 23.
"I definitely won't forget [this performance] because of the occasion," said Hadelich, who lives in Manhattan. "'America the Beautiful,' what that song means for everybody, it's very special."
At 15, Hadelich’s family home in Riparbella, Italy, caught on fire, leaving him with burns across his face, abdomen and right arm. He overcame his bad luck, however, making it to America 10 years later via The Julliard School.
"This is a wonderfully accepting place, especially New York City," said Hadelich. "This is definitely going to stay with me."
In recent years, Hadelich has performed with the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra and has played at Carnegie Hall and The Vets.
