Results for "violin"

Elektra Kurtis

Born: March 16

Elektra Kurtis is a violinist and composer of Greek origin, leader of Ensemble Elektra. Now a resident of New York City, she has also lived in Poland, Greece and Finland. Elektra has performed with such notable artists as Lester Bowie, Gerry Mulligan, Paquito d'Rivera, Lionel Hampton, Max Roach, Ray Barreto, Simon Shaheen and Israel “Cachao” Lopez. She has also worked with contemporary composers such as Anthony Davis, John Zorn, Henry Threadgill, Craig Harris and Butch Morris. Most recently Elektra performed as guest artist with a world music group Drum Freaks in Warsaw, Poland, recorded on NAS’s CD (2005), played in the Vision Festival in NYC in 2007 and 2009, as member of Spontaneous River improvisational string ensemble (conduction by Billy Bang 2007 and Jason Hwang 2009) and with Adam Rudolf ‘s Organic Orchestra

David MacKenzie

Classically trained and currently Principal Second Violin in the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, David's 30 year career has seen him take up posts in symphony and ballet orchestras across Europe. However, the last three years has seen him follow one of his earliest loves, the music of Stefan Grappelli. In early 2002, he teamed up with Dublin jazz pianist Josh Johnston and the pair have toured around Ireland since, building up an audience with their enjoyable, melodic music. As well as the swing jazz that formed the genesis of the union, they also use elements of Latin Jazz and Blues and the classical influence has an undeniable contribution too

Richard Jones

Richard Jones is an exciting, young British violinist recognised for his innovative sound and approach and adaptability in bringing the violin to life within a broad range of musical contexts. Born in Wales and now based in London, his musical upbringing was a diverse tapestry of experiences that ignited his passion for music and provided opportunity to explore and develop. He went on to study music in Bath, where he also took time out from education to play with acclaimed British blues band ‘Kill It Kid’ who recorded their debut album in Seattle and toured internationally for a number of years

Tia Imani Hanna

Born: September 24, 1966

Tia Imani Hanna: Violinist, Vocalist and Composer

Tia Imani Hanna is a musician who takes listeners from one deep, swelling moment to the next, rarely pausing between chords without inhaling a fresh breath of passion into the river of her work. Ms. Hanna says her mission is “to create music that makes the listener remember they are spiritual beings, that spirit moves within us through sound, through vision, through dance…with joy and love.”

Nurtured By a Family of Musicians

Born in Detroit, she was nurtured by a family of musicians, including her aunt, Naima Shamborguer, the popular Detroit jazz vocalist, and world-renowned jazz pianist, the late Sir Roland Hanna, who inspired her to pursue this indigenous American art form.

Rebecca Zapen

Born: December 17, 1973

Versatile violinist, vocalist, and songwriter Rebecca Zapen's first musical memory was that of sitting under the baby grand piano as a toddler, her ears filled by the sounds of her mother playing Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart. Her college years were filled with opera, orchestra, chamber music, and late night jazz jams. The journey continued to twist and unfold, rich in varied musical experiences: Tom Waits tunes via CB radio and Celtic harp, a four-year trip to the Old World in Klezmania, spoken word with eclectic folk, Gypsy jazz. She walks her present path as a performer of range and depth: a classically-trained violinist, a jazz crooner/violinist in quartet ZapStar, and an award-winning songwriter/composer

Michael Fraser

Born: December 21, 1988

Michael Fraser is the jazz violinist in Swingamajig, an inspiring father-son duo based in Vancouver, Canada. Although only sixteen years old, Michael plays with the jazz feel of someone who’s been improvising his whole life. He started playing the violin at age 4 and by age 9, he was already smitten with the old jazz standards, particularly with the raunchy fiddling of his idol, Stuff Smith. Indeed Stuff’s hard-swinging style is a definite influence on Michael’s improvisations. He must be on the right track because in 2001, Michael was the recipient of a British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame Foundation Scholarship in recognition of his “demonstrated talent, dedication and future potential in the field of music.” Michael is lucky to have his dad and musical partner, Don Fraser, back him up with some solid guitar rhythm as they play tunes from the Gypsy and Swing Jazz repertoires, as well as their own original compositions.

Charles Burnham

The passion and fire of Charlie Burnham's violin has graced the work of many: Cassandra Wilson, James Blood Ulmer, Steven Bernstein, Susie Ibbara, Peter Apfelbaum, Henry Threadgrill, String Trio of New York, Ted Daniel,Medeski, Martin & Wood, and many, many others. But armed with a wholenew book of originals and a stellar new band, Burnham's step into thespotlight has long been coming. Wordly and other-worldly sounds canbe heard from Burnham's musical and personal journeys as his soulfulvoice and violin lead you down some open roads and dark alleys, and bring you to some spots you may not have known even exist

Michael Zentner

Born: March 28, 1955

Founding member of Washington DC Art Rock band, The Muffins , The Muffins were hailed as "one of the best progressive rock bands in the USA.

Josie Quick

Born: April 16, 1965

Josie Quick and Tom Carleno founded the acoustic jazz group Perpetual Motion in 1989. Based around the sizzling jazz violin style of Josie Quick, this dynamic instrumental combo will take you on a musical journey that can range from bluegrass to swing to rock to Jean-Luc Ponty inspired jazz. Guitarist Tom Carleno pens much of their material in a style reminiscent of Michael Hedges. Bassist Blake Eberhard and drummer Rob Chamberlin complete the quartet. Josie's improvisational style is a combination of the influences from her classical and jazz training. Her formal music training began in the public school system, which led to positions with several community orchestras by the time she was in high school

Darrell Looney

Born: April 8, 1963

Playing the violin since the age of nine, Darrell "D-Funk" Looney creates funky/jazzy tracks with a prominent violin voice to elevate the mood of the everyday groove experience.