The German artist has lived in the US for the past ten years

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German violinist Augustin Hadelich was sworn in as a new US citizen at Manhattan Federal Court last week – and performed ‘America the Beautiful’ at the naturalisation ceremony.

‘Augustin’s rendition was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes,’ said US Circuit Court Judge Robert Katzmann.

Hadelich was one of 80 people sworn in at the ceremony. The violinist moved to America ten years ago after winning a place to study at the Juilliard School in New York.

‘I definitely won’t forget [the performance] because of the occasion,’ he told the New York Daily News. ‘†America the Beautiful†, what that song means for everybody, it’s very special. This is a wonderfully accepting place, especially New York City.’

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor

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