Interview: Violinist Lindsey Stirling Kicks Off Summer Symphony Tour in Miami

It's been a decade and a half since Lindsey Stirling took YouTube by storm with dramatic videos showcasing her exploits on the electric violin. Now 38, Stirling continues to enrapture audiences with stunning choreography, genre-defying sound, and fusional blends that repopularize classical music and introduce it to younger generations.

On Friday, June 13, she'll perform at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami alongside the Atlantic Studio Philharmonic to open a six-week tour across the United States, playing with different orchestras along the way. Ahead of the show, Stirling joined New Times via Zoom to chat about the synth-based arrangements her team scored for the new musical adventure.

"Even just practicing with them, I teared up, because I can't believe that I'm going to play with a full symphony, with some of the best players in the United States," she tells New Times, explaining how the format will allows audience to re-experience her catalog with live instrumentation and a conductor. "Suddenly, flutes are playing parts and trumpets are bringing to life what normally is just synths and sound waves."

The grandeur and glory that accompany the symphonic experience mark a return to her orchestral roots. "That's where my craft and my skill was really honed as a player," she says. "Going back even further, you know, as a little girl, my parents took me to an orchestra concert, and that's what made me want to play the violin."

The searingly intimate sound of a solo violin never fails to move her, but Stirling is eager to showcase the instrument's beauty and depth in other ways. And a symphony tour allows her to play with an ensemble of violins, achieving a louder and more dynamic sound.

The process also helped Stirling harness a stronger sense of self. Her upcoming tour stop in Portland, Oregon, was one of her most anticipated dates well before it was official. Instead of worrying about the outcome, she let go.

"I hold on to life so tight sometimes because I know the things I want so badly. And I sometimes just get really caught up in this belief that I can make it happen if I work hard enough." Stirling developed her career and life by working hard without compromising her vision, and she found a new way to embrace high tension.
"I think a lot of times the real magic happens when you do everything you can: you work hard, but then you do let go of the actual expectations: I don't know what's actually best for me. I don't know the perfect way to bring this about. That's when I feel like we give room for the universe to give us some good surprises."

The lesson also helps her reflect on the past — like when she was eliminated on season 5 of America's Got Talent after reaching the quarterfinals back in 2010. "I wanted so badly to win that show. That's what I was holding on to so hard."

Since then, she has learned that the universe had more in store for her than she initially imagined.

Stirling's career arc continues to ascend. After her symphony tour, she's off to Mexico for three shows. This fall, she's harmonizing with electric guitars and infusing her sound with a rock and roll edge on a co-headlining tour across the U.S. and Canada with Halestorm.

She spends her downtime in the studio. The Indian-American artist Shuba helped Stirling reimagine "Evil Twin," a song from her 2024 album Duality. The track showcases an intoxicating trifecta created by classical, hip-hop, and Indian pop music. It was released less than a week ago, alongside a music video filmed in Egypt.
While writing "Inner Gold" (a Royal & The Serpent collab, also on Duality), she overcame a redefining hurdle. "For the first time ever in my career, I started to face a lot of very overt commentary about my looks and about the fact that I'm aging," she shares. Though the vitriol was hurtful, it led Stirling to question socially sanctioned views about self-worth, peeling back superficial layers to confront their distorting and constricting nature. It reminded her that inherent human value — one's "inner gold" — transcends physical appearance.

Sharing that journey with her audience forged a deeper bond. Onstage and off-, Stirling's fans reignite her sense of purpose.

"The best way to keep your audience entertained is by making yourself constantly a little pushed, a little bit uncomfortable, so that you're having to strive, but also be inspired," she says.

On Friday, beneath the Knight Concert Hall's majestic spiral canopy, an audience will watch Stirling honor the formal tradition that inspired her while showing the world who she's become.

Lindsey Stirling: A Night with the Atlantic Studio Philharmonic. 8 p.m. Friday, June 13, at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-949-6722. Tickets cost $71 to $177 via arshtcenter.org.