Gwen Laster Quartet at Blue LLama Jazz Club

Laster is a native Detroiter whose creative influences come from the Motor City’s exciting urban and classical music culture. Laster studied with Joe Striplin, the first African American in the Detroit Symphony, and after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, moved to New York. She has performed and/or recorded with Anthony Braxton, Nona Hendryx, Solange, Aretha Franklin, Danny Elfman, Andrea Bocelli, Emeline Michel, Alicia Keys, Rhianna,Tyler the Creator on Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Cole, and with Shakira at President Obama’s Neighborhood Ball Inauguration...

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Laster is a native Detroiter whose creative influences come from the Motor City’s exciting urban and classical music culture. Laster studied with Joe Striplin, the first African American in the Detroit Symphony, and after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, moved to New York. She has performed and/or recorded with Anthony Braxton, Nona Hendryx, Solange, Aretha Franklin, Danny Elfman, Andrea Bocelli, Emeline Michel, Alicia Keys, Rhianna,Tyler the Creator on Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Cole, and with Shakira at President Obama’s Neighborhood Ball Inauguration. She has won major performance, composition and teaching grants from the NEA, ASCAP, Lila Wallace, Arts Mid-Hudson, and a first place award from Cognac Hennessey Jazz. Gwen most recently performed the NY premier of the Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra with the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra.She is founder of the Creative Strings Improvisers Orchestra for young musicians, plays the Sphinx Symphony, Go: Organic Orchestra, We Free Strings and leads the New MUSE4tet. Gwen has been featured in Chamber Music America magazine for her commissioned string quartet work Black Lives Matter Suite.

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