DeBeriot with DeBroken finger!

Julia Dudek won the Susquehanna University Concerto Competition in January, 2025. She was in fine form this semester, playing a beautiful recital in February, charging through repertoire with her string quartet, and sitting Assistant Concertmaster with West Shore Symphony Orchestra. The morning of her concerto gig, she was changing a fitted bedsheet when the elastic sprung her hand into the metal frame and she heard a "pop": finger not pointing the correct way. She chose NOT to tell anyone, thinking that profs and parents would adviser her not to perform. (She thought correctly.) You can be the judge- can you tell that her finger was broken from this video?

Julia Dudek's brilliant performance with broken ring finger of bow hand (start at 23:28)

When she didn't come back on stage for the Mendelssohn symphony afterwards, and I saw her Mom leave the audience, I texted: "What's going on". "I injured my finger badly" was the response. Here we are in the ER awaiting x-ray results:

At Evangelical ER, Lewisburg

Turns out, it was broken. Doc said she'd probably need surgery with a pin. Appointment today (Tuesday, 4/15). My thought: See if they can add finger extensions to make her hands bigger while they're at it.

Not how we want our fingers to look!

Surgery set for Friday, 4/18 (same day as Pre-College recital) Surgeon unwilling to extend her fingers as part of procedure, but a therapist who has worked with Juilliard students wrapped her hand thus: