Instructors

Christian Howes

Christian Howes has already made an indelible mark and is poised to be a path-finding figure on the contemporary violin. He’s won recognition and kudos from artists and critics alike. Says guitar pioneer Les Paul, with whom Christian has made numerous appearances: “There is nobody better than this guy.” The prominent artists Howes has performed and/or recorded with include Greg Osby, Randy Brecker, James Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Akua Dixon’s Quartette Indigo, Billy Hart, D.D. Jackson, David Murray, Steve Turre’s Sextet with Strings, Jane Monheit, Dr. John, Frank Vignola, and Lenny White, to name a few.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Christian Howes was classically trained beginning at age five. He subsequently performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at sixteen. After placing in national classical competitions while still in his teens, Howes set out to build upon a strong classical foundation and distinguish himself in jazz, the art of the improvisers. His star has been ascending ever since.

As a bandleader or a featured guest Howes has performed on such prestigious stages as the Newport, Toronto, Ottawa, and Tri-C jazz festivals. His club work has taken him to such world-renowned venues as Birdland, Iridium, the Knitting Factory, Blues Alley, and the Village Vanguard… and that’s just in the U.S. Christian’s tours have taken him throughout the Midwestern U.S., the Far East and across Europe, including a part-time residence in Spain, where he has collaborated with some of that country’s finest musicians. In 2002 Howes was featured in performance in the Spanish film Impulsos.

An extremely versatile and flexible artist, this prolific violinist/composer maintains five distinct working ensembles, including the Christian Howes Group (quintet or quartet), the Hot Swing Group, the European Acoustic Trio, the Special Electric Violin Project, and Duo Americana. Howes is also available to provide clinics and master classes for all ages.

Billy Contreras

Billy Contreras took up fiddle and bow at age six because he wanted to "make sparks fly" from the instrument as he had once seen Charlie Daniels do on television. Since then, Contreras has recorded two albums, traveled extensively, and performed with numerous artists and musicians.

In August of 1997, Contreras opened for Lionel Hampton at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan. Hampton invited Contreras to perform at the 1998 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. The festival offered him the opportunity to showcase his talents alongside other noted musicians such as Diana Krall, Russel Malone, Christian McBride, Kenny Barron, and the Ray Brown Trio.

Contreras performed in Wednesday night's opening concert and closed out on Sunday as a featured Soloist with Lionel's Big Band. In addition, Contreras has performed as a special guest with the Nashville Symphony in 1996 and 1998. In 1996, he capped his contesting career by winning the prestigious Old Time National Junior Fiddle Championship.

Prior to that, he appeared in an ensemble of fiddling legends in a special tribute to Bill Monroe on the CBS televised Grand Ole Opry 70th Anniversary celebration. Contreras has also performed at the Nashville Summer Lights Festival, Chet Atkins Musician Days, The Tennessee Center for the Performing Arts, the Tennessee Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia, Dollywood Sundown Hoedown (featured with Jack Greene, Connie Smith, and Jeanne Pruett), Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, and the Opryland Hotel.

In 1995, Contreras made his national television debut on TNN's Music City Tonight, trading quips with host Charlie Chase and giving him a few quick fiddling tips. Another appearance on TNN featured Contreras playing fiddle for Hank Thompson on Prime Time Country.

He has also appeared twice on WSM Radio's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. Informally and formally, Billy has played with numerous noted musicians; some of them include David "Dawg" Grisman, legendary session fiddler Buddy Spicher, Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard, Bluegrass great Chubby Weiss, virtuoso Mark O'Connor, Berklee's String chair Matt Glaser, Turtle Island's Daryl Anger, and The Bob Wills' Texas Playboys under the direction of Leon Rausch and Tommy Allsup.

Notable jazz greats include John Blake Jr., Al Grey, Frank Foster, Russel Malone, and of course, Lionel Hampton. Billy has done sessions with members of the original Texas Playboys and Hank Thompson, among others.

Mark O'Connor, who wrote the liner notes for Contreras' debut album, describes the youngster as "a natural musician, playing with ease the ideas he collects as he encounters new musical influences..." Contreras loves to improvise and is currently most interested in swing and jazz styles.

He has also begun composing his own music. At a September, 1995 Nashville concert, Contreras was introduced backstage by Mark O'Connor to the late Stephanie Grapelli, the world's most renowned jazz violinist. Upon Mark's urging, Billy played a tune for the great maestro, using O'Connor's own fiddle.

Wishing to broaden his musical skills, Contreras is currently studying piano. He also studies classical violin with Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, concert mistress of the Nashville Symphony.

Fiddling is a major focus in Contreras' life, but he still finds time for his studies, maintaining good grades in school. He also pursues other loves -- reading (especially history), soccer, hiking, traveling and meeting people from all walks of life. And, like any other typical teenager, Contreras likes being outside, spending time with his dog Secesh and "just having fun."

The youngest of four children, he enjoys jamming with his older brother, Cruz, a talented musician in his own right who is a Jazz Studies major at the University of Tennessee.

With so many accomplishments already under his belt at age thirteen, Contreras appears to have a bright and sparkling future in store; and  perhaps one day the growing number of fans he is amassing will actually behold sparks flying from his fiddle as he continues to set the music world on fire.

Christian Berg

Christian Berg holds a Master of Arts in Theory and Composition from Montclair State College, NJ. and a Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance from Manhattan School of Music in N.Y.C. He has enjoyed an active career in jazz for 34 years as a performer in clubs, concerts, festivals, films, radio, and television with such leading musicians as Chuck Mangione, Jimmy Smith, Susanna McKorkle, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Knepper, Chuck Wayne, Richie Cole, Mulgrew Miller, Eddie Daniels, Fred Hersh, Warren Vache, The Widespread Depression Orchestra, John Pizzarelli, Marty Grosz, Stanley Cowell, et al. He recently became a full time member of the prestigious Columbus Jazz Orchestra and is frequently heard with the Jazz Arts Group.

He is also active as a composer/arranger and his songs, jazz compositions and chamber pieces have been performed and recorded by many artists. He has also written original music for film & television, musical theatre, and video games.

He appears on dozens of commercial recordings with such performers as The Dells, Marty Grosz, Tim Cummiskey, the CCM Faculty Jazztet, Canto Poetico, Judith Kaye, Vivian Lord, Dick Mackie, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Eric Brown, and many others. His CD of original compositions, “A Man is a Tree” will be released in early January of 2007 on HipGnosis Records. As the former Director of Research and Music Development with Brain Actuated Technologies, Inc., Yellow Springs, OH. he designed, developed and patented software for brain-actuated music.

He is currently the assistant professor of jazz studies at Central State University and adjunct professor of Jazz Bass at the Conservatory College of Music, University of Cincinnati.

Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas has been recognized by international critics and audiences as one of the most original, technically adept and powerful violinists playing jazz and contemporary music. JazzTimes calls him "a violinist of exceptional creative resources... riveting as a solo voice with a rich complex tone that can sing or shriek".

Thomas has been a complex and shrieking part (although certainly not rich) of the creative music scene in New York City since moving there in 1991. In the mid ‘90’s he toured and recorded extensively with The Jazz Passengers, often featuring as guests Elvis Costello and Deborah Harry. In 2001 Rob accepted the violin chair in the String Trio of New York, joining guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg as the legendary group began its 23rd season. He is also a member of the critically acclaimed Mahavishnu Project, an adventurous repertory ensemble that explores (with the Maestro's blessing and encouragement) the music of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. He is an active free-lancer, contributing to recent recordings by Lee Konitz, Andy Summers, Los Jovenes Del Barrio and Marc Ribot. He has also performed with The John Handy 'Monterey' Quintet, Max Roach, Jan Hammer, Bobby Previte, Claude Williams, The Soldier String Quartet and Akua Dixon's Quartette Indigo.

While studying classical violin and music theory in his hometown of Eugene at the University of Oregon, Thomas became fascinated with jazz and soon began working with the local players. He later moved to Portland and eventually toured throughout the Pacific Northwest as a leader on violin and a sideman on bass (on which he "doubled expertly" according to Leonard Feather in a Los Angeles Times festival review), gaining valuable experience in pick-up bands with jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Charlie Rouse, Eddie Harris, Mose Allison, Nat Adderly, and others. Rob's own groups made regular appearances at regional clubs and festivals and often included such notable musicians as Glen Moore, Nancy King, Jerry Hahn, and John Handy. Thomas still enjoys playing the bass, and toured Asia in 2004 as bassist with the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble, New York Voices.

Also an active educator, Thomas taught in the Northwest at Reed and Marylhurst Colleges, and at Cornish College of the Arts. He is currently an Associate Professor of Strings at Boston's Berklee College of Music, and an adjunct instructor at the New School University in New York.

For more information, visit: www.robthomasviolin.com

Dana Leong

“The songs find their origins in hip-hop, but this is no surprise. It is actually comforting that an artist of this generation has instilled his poetry with universal vision; a vision that permeates the state of art, music, race and the world to life them up and bring them to an attention that is broad, and not simply for a select few.”
– All About Jazz

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Dana Leong fuses hip-hop, jazz and electronics to create a signature hybrid sound. Artfully commanding cello, trombone and laptop, the Asian-American artist of Chinese and Japanese descent is breaking down artistic and cultural boundaries, collaborating, inventing, recording, touring and garnering critical acclaim along the way.

Leong's 4-piece ensemble, The Dana Leong Band (cello/ trombone, laptop, keyboard, drumkit and rapper/ poet), is a sonic and visual representation of his cutting edge, melting-pot artistic vision. From slow, lyrical and symphonic tunes to high-energy hip-hop tunes, this electro-acoustic all-star foursome is quickly sweeping the world off its feet.

The band's recent sold out Asian tour as part of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad (sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) is a testament to his virtuosic live performances and his mission to blur the lines between art and commercialism.

Leong is a prodigious anomaly of the highest order. Since his entrance into New York City in 1998, he has been sprinting steadily through the ranks of the music scene.

At the ripe age of 27, Leong has held roles as a performer on stage and in the studio as well as a composer and producer with top performers in almost every musical genre such as: The 2006 Grammy Nominated Jazz Chamber Trio led by Paquito D'Rivera (where Dana now fills a chair frequented by Yo-Yo Ma), The 2007 Grammy Nominated Dafnis Prieto Absolute Quintet, Ray Charles, Diddy, Kanye West, Matisyahu, Norah Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Barry White, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Lauryn Hill, Alanis Morrisette, Zap Mamma, Wynton Marsalis, Yoko Ono, Boyz II Men at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, Dark Latin Groove at Shea Stadium NYC, Christian McBride and the Balkan Beat Box.

He was also invited to perform at Bing Crosby's house.

On screen, Leong has acted and performed on screen in a number of different settings such as Steven Spielberg's feature film "The Terminal," Robin Williams' "August Rush," NBC's "Law & Order," "The Today Show," and with The Roots "Live at Wetlands." Leong has even performed for fashion shows and high fashion events by Alexander Hercovitch and Dianne von Furstenberg.

Following his successful debut release, "Leaving New York" (featuring Christian McBride, 8x Grammy winning clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera and others), Leong recently completed "Anthems Of Life," his second full-length recording.

For more information, visit: www.danaleong.com

Bert Ligon

Bert Ligon is director of jazz studies at the University of South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Music and his Master of Music in jazz piano performance and arranging from the University of North Texas.

Ligon toured with the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, and has performed with Chris Potter, Red Rodney, Randy Brecker, Marion McPartland, Mel Torme, Dianne Schuur, Dianne Reeves, and others. Ligon has published three books: Jazz Theory Resources Vol. 1 & 2, Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony, and Comprehensive Technique for the Jazz Musician.

Ligon has published several original compositions for big band, jazz string, and steel drum ensembles. He composed extensively in the Radio/TV/film industry receiving many awards including national PBS awards and an EMMY nomination. Ligon has been president of the South Carolina IAJE and chair of the jazz committee of the South Carolina Band Directors Association.

Ligon has presented several clinics and concerts at IAJE, ASTA, and SCMEA conferences. He has taught jazz improvisation, guitar, piano, conducted jazz string orchestras at Suzuki Institute and the Mark O'Connor Fiddle conferences.

At USC, Ligon coordinates the jazz combos and big bands, jazz strings, teaches jazz theory, jazz improvisation, arranging, and applied jazz lessons. Ligon plays piano, guitar, third base. 

Alex Hargreaves

With an open minded enthusiasm for all varieties of string music, both traditional and modern, folk and classical, Alex Hargreaves pursues his musical education with teachers of all different styles. They include: Matt Glaser, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Christian Howes, Johnny Gimble, Paul Anastasio, and Bruce Molsky.

Hargreaves is also an active performer playing in venues around the country ranging from the Wintergrass Festival in Seattle, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, Rockygrass, and the International Bluegrass Music Association in Nashville. Although his main instrument is violin, he is a multi-instrumentalist, playing mandolin, piano and guitar.

In 2007, Alex was the youngest ever to win the Grand Champion division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Hargreaves won the Championship Division of the Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers Contest. In June, 2006, Alex won the Junior Division (ages 17 and under) at the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho.

Hargreaves has performed with David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Chris Thile, Sean & Sara Watkins, Tim O'Brien, Darol Anger, and Mike Marshall. Other musicians and bands he has shared the stage with include: Old School Freight Train, Joe Craven, Bruce Molsky, Christian Howes, David Bromberg, Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum, Country Current, Noam Pikelny, Danny Barnes, The Greencards, Chris Eldridge, Billy Contreras, Jeremy Kittel, Rushad Eggleston, Randy Elmore, Brittany Haas, Crooked Still, Uncle Earl, Hanneke Cassel and Tristan & Tashina Clarridge.

In August, 2005, Alex was awarded the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin at the Mark O'Connor String Conference in San Diego. Built by master violin maker Jonathan Cooper, the instrument honors the memory of slain journalist Daniel Pearl. Each year, the violin is awarded to a young musician to play for one year. In this way, the violin, the musicians, and the music will continue, year after year, to inspire Daniel Pearl's eternal dream of peace, harmony, and cultural understanding.

In 2007, Hargreaves was awarded a Belle Foundation Cultural Development grant for his musical achievements. In addition, he was chosen for an Alternative Styles Award from the American Strings Teachers Association (ASTA) and invited to perform at their annual convention in Detroit, Michigan.

Daniel Kelly

Composer and pianist Daniel Kelly has developed his own personal and unique approach to jazz, modern classical composition and free improvisation. As comfortable with keyboards, samplers and electronic sound manipulation as he is with acoustic piano, Daniel has innovated original ways to incorporate these instruments into his own sound world.

This is evident on his highly acclaimed CDs, "World" and "Duets with Ghosts." As a composer, he has innovated new ways of incorporating sound design and pre-recorded samples into works structured with sophisticated harmonic, melodic and rhythmic structures.

He has composed for feature films, theater, and various multimedia performances. As a performer, his ability to put a personalized stamp on many musical styles has lead to performances and/or recordings with artists as diverse as hip-hop/R&B star Lauryn Hill, master saxophonist Michael Brecker, Latin Jazz conga virtuoso Ray Barretto, and avant-garde mainstays William Parker, Mark Dresser and John Zorn.

He is the pianist for Grammy-nominated drummer and bandleader, Bobby Sanabria, and renowned spoken-word artist, David Gonzalez. Along with Gonzalez, Daniel was a repertory artist for the Lincoln Center Institute from 2002-2005.

In the spring of 2006, Kelly performed the music of classical composer Sergei Prokofiev in the production of the theatrical piece, The Frog Bride, which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and was performed at the New Victory Theater on Broadway, the Royal National Theater in London and is now touring throughout the US. He has been honored to be the featured composer at the NOW Music Festival.

Held at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, this festival features new music by America’s leading composers. His work has also been used in theater productions in New York City and in Europe. Kelly has also been performing completely improvised solo piano concerts, the most recent of which was released on CD in January 2007.

Kelly was chosen by the US State Department to be a Jazz Ambassador, performing a six-week tour to India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. This highly prestigious honor is only awarded to a few groups each year that travel to developing countries to perform concerts and workshops.

Kelly has studied with Kenny Werner, Richie Beirach and Fred Hersch. He has also performed at such esteemed venues as The Blue Note, Birdland and the Guggenheim Museum, Montreux Jazz Festival, the Stockholm Jazz Festival, the MoldeJazz Festival in Norway, the PoriJazz Festival in Finland, the London Coliseum, the NUKE Festival in Vienna, the Heineken Music Open'er Festival in Gdynia, Poland, the Cactus Festival, Brugge, Belgium, Jazzopen in Stuttgart, Germany, Piazza Napoleone in Lucca, Italy, Harbour Stage in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy, France.

Kelly's talents as a film composer can be heard in the films The Receipt, Below the Belt (awarded Best Film of the Oregon Film Festival), and The Legend of Johnson Roebling. Daniel’s compositions were featured at the World Forum in Puerto Rico in December 2006, where performed and collaborated with former Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Robert Anderson
The String Project Los Angeles

A native of Columbia, SC, Robert started taking violin lessons at age 8. While in high school he discovered a love for improvisation, and began developing his jazz concept studying jazz guitar with local guitar legend Jim Mings.

At 18, he was selected to perform in the National High School Honors Orchestra in Kansas City, MO. In 1996 he continued his violin studies with Ryan Kho, William Terwilliger, and Donald Portnoy at the University of South Carolina. At the same time he became actively involved in USC's jazz studies program, performing in combos and studying composition and arranging with Bert Ligon.

While in school he co-founded the USC Jazz String Ensemble, which performed to great acclaim at the 1998 IAJE Conference in Anaheim, CA. He studied violin with Jennifer John and Paul Kantor at the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, CO. Robert also attended the Henry Mancini Institute at UCLA in 1999, 2001, and 2002, where his compositions have been performed.

He has worked with a diverse array of musicians including Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Quincy Jones, Mark O’Connor, Darol Anger, Christian McBride, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Randy Brecker, Rhianna, Kanye West, and Michael Kamen. He has written music for musicians from Ozzy Osbourne to Paul Oakenfold, and for a number of recording projects.

Jacob Szekely
The String Project Los Angeles

Jacob Szekely is a true musical rarity.

As a performer, he's one of the few legit improvising string players in the world, and one of the only cellists on the planet who has developed a true Jazz/funk concept on his instrument.

In addition to his busy schedule as a studio musician and sideman, Jacob performs with his own groups Supernova (jazz/fusion quartet), The Albe Bonacci Trio (Modern Jazz with drums), Quarteto Nuevo (World Music), and Leviathan (hip hop).

Jacob is also active as a composer and arranger and has collaborated with a wide range of artists and ensembles from string quartets and world music groups to commissions for chamber orchestra and children's choir. Jacob is also co-founder and artistic director of String Project Los Angeles, a music school and resource for the alternative string playing community throughout the world located in West Hollywood.

Jacob is a Steinberger and Danish Professional Audio Artist and performs regularly on his five string Steinberger electric cello as well as several acoustic cellos in different tunings.

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