Daughter of the American ambassador for a career as a pianist and a family of Mormons
IN RUBRIC "BUSINESS" we introduce readers with women of different professions and hobbies that we like or are just interesting. This time, Mary Ann Huntsman, the daughter of the new American ambassador to Russia, became our heroine.
Last week, Mary Ann opened a diplomatic reception at the Spaso House residence by Sergei Rakhmaninov’s music. An American woman in Moscow for the first time, she is successfully touring pianist from the Steinway & Sons list. “Ideally, our governments should act in unison,” Ambassador John Huntsman said at the reception. “When Russians and Americans unite, great music comes out.” Ambassador Huntsman is a Mormon, heir to big business (his father founded the chemical company Huntsman Corporation), the former governor of Utah, the former presidential candidate of the United States and the former ambassador of this country in China. He is known that he was both a supporter of Donald Trump and his critic - for example, he called for him to withdraw from the presidential race after Trump's statements about women and their vagina became known. We talked with the ambassador’s daughter about how to become a pianist in a politician’s family and marry a Jew if you grew up in the Mormons tradition.
MUSIC I BEGIN TO DO IN THREE YEARS. I was absolutely fascinated by the piano, the instrument stood at our place. Dad and Mom both played a little bit. It began with the fact that I just put my fingers on the keys - since then it has been going on, since then it's my world.
Were the lessons painful? You know, no, it was not hard. I remember, as a child, about eight years old, I just sat in the room and listened to piano concerts. And I understood that this is my future. When I was little, my parents took me to every piano lesson. And they sat with me from beginning to end in every class, did not miss a single one.
Perhaps, the most difficult for me were teenage years, the time of high school, somewhere from 15 to 18 years old - when you want to go somewhere, meet with friends. My parents knew that I take very seriously the piano and music lessons, by this time I had already participated in competitions. And they understood that it was necessary to somehow intervene, to push me. They did not pressure me, no. They simply said: "Instead of going and meeting friends, stay at home and work out properly." These were such trifles, they were not that forced, they just were not indifferent.
I HAVE GROWN IN THE FAMILY POLICY. The most difficult in our life were constant journeys. From infancy until I was eighteen, we moved twelve times, from country to country. And the most difficult thing for parents - for which I am very grateful - every time I found a good (and they were looking for the best possible) teacher of the piano in a new place, to ensure that my training was a consistent course.
Did we have any restrictions? Parents did everything so that we had an absolutely ordinary life, the life of normal children. While I was growing up, my father developed a professional career: he was appointed ambassador to Singapore when I was six years old. But we did not feel any difference in our lives from the lives of other children. We could make as many friends as we wanted. There were no obstacles on the part of parents.
Perhaps the only restriction I can remember is the need to lose friends and make new ones. When we came somewhere, friends appeared, and then a year later it was necessary to move to another place and make new friends there again, and leave the old ones. But we grew up in a large family, we are seven children, and we are close enough in age - and we were just very good friends to each other. We were always there, stood for each other, and it helped.
We moved to Taiwan when I was one and a half or two years old - I don’t remember much. But we came to Singapore when I was already six years old, and I have extremely wonderful memories associated with this country. At about this age — at 6–7 years old — I began to speak in front of the public at the embassy. That is, it was also the beginning of my performing career.
LET'S TELL ME I WILL TELL ABOUT HOW THE FATHER WAS PILOTING AT THE GOVERNOR'S POST. At that moment we lived in Washington for two years. And before that they lived in Utah. And we all, our whole family, missed Utah a lot. One day, my brothers and sisters got together and discussed that the election of the governor of Utah was coming and that our father was an absolutely perfect candidate for the post of governor. And for us it was also an opportunity to return to the state we missed. We called the father into the room, sat down and said: "Dad, you know, it seems to us that you are an absolutely perfect candidate."
That is, in fact, it was our idea. We said that we would give him any support that was within our power. He listened to us, although it didn’t seem to us then that he took it seriously. But it turned out that he took it pretty seriously. As a result, he conducted an excellent campaign, was elected for two terms, twice the numbers supporting him as a candidate for governor of Utah were very, very high.
WHEN THE FATHER DECIDED TO BALOT IN THE POST OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESI lived in China - there appeared quite attractive performing opportunities, I played a lot and planned to live there for at least another year. One day my father called and said that he was thinking about taking part in the presidential campaign. After the conversation, I thought about this situation and decided that if he really wanted it, I should give him support, and in general I want to be with him.
I interrupted my performing career for a year. She put off appearances, came to the USA, and my sister and I became participants in the campaign. We even had such a separate initiative “Daughters John - 2012”, and I have the warmest memories of this time.
WE SHOULD SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND PRESIDENT. While I was growing up, my father always said this to me, it was for him an unconditional slogan, a given. He always did this, he believed in it for the duration of the last five presidents, starting, if I am not mistaken, with Reagan.
I HAVE GROWN IN THE FAMILY OF MORMONS. The Mormon Church is powerfully family oriented. Family for Mormons - an important value. And I really like the way our parents raised us: we were aimed at doing everything together, our solidarity helped a lot. First of all, every evening we always got together. So we have been taken.
There are a lot of myths, misconceptions and confusion around the life of the Mormons. Each family has its own way of life and its own rules. I can not say, remembering childhood, that we had some special or rigid rules that we had to follow. We were simply taught to be good people, do good and spend more time in the family. In general, we had such a situation that we liked being at home, we wanted to be at home. Our life was extremely normal - yes, and contrary to the Mormons myths, we watched TV a lot.
DID THE RELIGIOUS CHOICE STAND BEFORE US WHEN WE STARTED IN MARRIAGE? In my family, everyone who married and married got married with representatives of another faith. Our own faith - at least our parents brought us up - suggests that we respect other religions. I married a Jew, and we had a Jewish wedding ceremony. I must say, marriage with a representative of another denomination makes family life much more interesting.
There are seven children in our family, but I am the eldest, so I received enough attention. In fact, we grew up feeling that we were best friends with our parents. We still have a very close relationship and do not spend the day so that parents do not call us all on the phone - we communicate constantly. As for responsibility, the older child is, of course, very much. First, you have to be a good example for babies. Secondly, you help around the house a lot - I have always helped parents with younger children.
TWO CHILDREN IN OUR FAMILY ARE ADOPTED. We grew up in Asia - as I told you, in Taiwan and in Singapore. In China, we usually spent the summer. At some point, when our mother was already five, we sat her down and said that we want a little sister from China. So we got Gracie. I was fourteen then.
As for Asha from India, at that moment I was living in New York. I was already nineteen. We came home for the holidays, and this time my father already sat everyone down and announced that we would have another little sister: parents adopt a girl from India. We experienced some shock because we were already older. But both girls are absolutely wonderful. They are very close friends with us, and now I no longer imagine life without them - I believe that this was a real blessing.
This is my first visit to Russia. I have long wanted this - because I played a lot of Russian composers, so Russia has always been on the list of countries that I definitely need to visit. And I like it here - very interesting.
