My Heroes
These are some of the musicians whose recordings have inspired and influenced me.
Yuri Bashmet
A Russian violist whose power and control of the instrument make me stop in my tracks every time I hear it. He conducts and plays the viola solo in this recording of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante.
Regina Carter
Combining African folk music, jazz, classical, and countless other styles into her playing, this woman redefines her music with every new release. Listen to excerpts from her album Reverse Thread, which features jazz combo, accordian, and kora!
Sarah Chang
One of the "child prodigies" who made a seamless transition into a performance career. Her "Fire and Ice" recording was one of the first CDs I ever bought, and featured this Carmen Fantasy. Warning: the cheesy video may make you dizzy!
David Garret
A rock-star performer, David Garret has gained popularity among many of my students for his record-breaking Flight of the Bumblebee
Stephane Grappelli
One of the pioneers of jazz violin. He makes it look easy in this rendition of How High the Moon
Hilary Hahn
A classical violinist with a beautiful tone and lots of personality in her playing. Here is a performance of the Grave from JS Bach's violin sonata no. 2.
Natalie MacMaster
A Cape-Bretton Fiddling sensation, Natalie MacMaster is another fiddler who knows no boundaries when it comes to different styles. Make some room around you before you listen to her Volcanic Jig- you will probably end up dancing.
William Primrose
One of the first great violists. Here he is playing the third movement of the Handel/Casadesus Concerto for viola and orchestra. There are videos available, but they are very old, and the sound quality is not as good.
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
She has studied Gypsy music as well as classical, and you can hear it in her playing! Here she is with her ensemble: The New Century Chamber Orchestra.
Eddie South
He started playing jazz when 1920's classical concert halls refused to let a black violinist perform. Here he is performing Daphne with Grappelli and guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Turtle Island String Quartet
This is the group that made me realize the viola is a natural jazz machine. Listen to them play "My Favorite Things" in the style of John Coltrane.
