Tracy Silverman
Encyclopedia
Tracy Silverman is an American violin
ist, composer, and producer. Born in New York
and raised in Beloit
, Wisconsin
, he attended Beloit Memorial High School
, but left after 10th grade to enter the Chicago Musical College
at the age of 16. He is on the string faculty of Belmont University
in Nashville, Tennessee and has also been an instructor at Mark O'Connor
's String Camps.
He studied classical music at the Juilliard School, but is best known today as a versatile performer in jazz
, contemporary classical music
, and rock
styles on the electric violin
, often performing on 6 string fretted and fretless instruments. He has recorded a solo album for Windham Hill Records
and appears on many Windham Hill compilations. He was formerly a violinist with the Turtle Island String Quartet and has also performed with pianist Jim Brickman
and with composer Terry Riley
.
Silverman is well known for his unique performance style; the BBC Radio has called him "The greatest living exponent of the electric violin". He has performed in many venues all over the world, including at the gala opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall
in Los Angeles where he was the featured soloist in the premiere of John Adams' composition The Dharma at Big Sur
, performing alongside cellist Yo Yo Ma.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer, and producer. Born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and raised in Beloit
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, he attended Beloit Memorial High School
Beloit Memorial High School
Beloit Memorial High School is a public, four-year comprehensive high school in Beloit, Wisconsin. The average class size is 28 students with an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students and 130 full-time certified staff. 80% of the students continue their education after graduation.The school's...
, but left after 10th grade to enter the Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College is a division of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt UniversityIt was founded in 1867, less than four decades after the city of Chicago was incorporated...
at the age of 16. He is on the string faculty of Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
in Nashville, Tennessee and has also been an instructor at Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor is an American bluegrass, jazz, country and classical violinist fiddler, composer and music teacher. O'Connor's music is wide-ranging, critically acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards for both his playing and his composition...
's String Camps.
He studied classical music at the Juilliard School, but is best known today as a versatile performer in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
styles on the electric violin
Electric violin
An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument purposely made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body...
, often performing on 6 string fretted and fretless instruments. He has recorded a solo album for Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment specializing in Acoustic, New Age and Folk music. Originally founded in 1976 as an Independent record label by guitarist and carpenter William Ackerman and his then-wife Anne Robinson, Windham Hill was a successful and well-respected...
and appears on many Windham Hill compilations. He was formerly a violinist with the Turtle Island String Quartet and has also performed with pianist Jim Brickman
Jim Brickman
Jim Brickman is an American songwriter and pianist. He has been named the most charted male Adult Contemporary artist to date, with six of his albums receiving Gold and Platinum status. He is known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations with artists...
and with composer Terry Riley
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
.
Silverman is well known for his unique performance style; the BBC Radio has called him "The greatest living exponent of the electric violin". He has performed in many venues all over the world, including at the gala opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
in Los Angeles where he was the featured soloist in the premiere of John Adams' composition The Dharma at Big Sur
The Dharma at Big Sur
The Dharma at Big Sur is a composition for solo electric violin and orchestra by John Adams. The piece calls for some instruments to use just intonation, a tuning system in which intervals sound pure, rather than equal temperament, the common Western tuning system in which all intervals except the...
, performing alongside cellist Yo Yo Ma.
Partial discography
- Streaming Video Soul (2008 - with Eclectica - features Roy "Futureman" Wooten)
- John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur (2006 Nonesuch)
- I'd Rather Be Dreaming (2004)
- North Meets South (2002 Nucleo - with Caito Marcondes)
- Silverman/Forsch: Superstring (2002 - with Ferdinand Forsch)
- Yangin' with the Yin Crowd (2001 - Dogs for Daisy EP)
- Trip to the Sun (1999 Windham Hill)
- On A Starry Night (1997 Windham Hill)
- A Night In Tunisia, A Week In Detroit (1995 Chandos - with Turtle Island String Quartet)
- Who Do We Think We Are? (1994 Windham Hill - with Turtle Island String Quartet)