Christian Howes

Friday, March 21st

Jazz Violinist Christian Howes

Jazz violinist Christian Howes has shared the stage with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Dafnis Prieto, Paquito D’Rivera, four years with Bill Evans’s “Soulgrass” band and over a decade with Les Paul. Said the legendary guitarist, “It used to be you could hardly find a good jazz violinist. Nowadays there are four or five really good players, but there is nobody better than this guy.”

Dubbed a “masterful journey”  by Downbeat Magazine, Christian’s latest CD, Southern Exposure, embarks upon a new quest into the French Mediterranean/Spanish and Latin American musical worlds; For six nights in April 2013, New Yorkers had first dibs on experiencing the triumph of Southern Exposure during the CD release hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Bluegrass, jazz, classical, latin, rock and fusion describe a few of the genres that Christian offers with his solo, trio, and quartet touring projects. Following his prodigious classical training, a “cultural intervention” occurred when Christian began performing at gospel church services at age 20.  Inspired by a new challenge, he set out to make a mark as an improvisor and composer on an instrument generally reserved for interpretation.  Since that shift 21 years ago, he has gained notoriety from critics and players alike as one of the world’s most respected jazz violinists.

Christian grew up in central Ohio studying classical violin and graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Philosophy.  Christian gives clinics and workshops around the globe as an official performing artist and clinician for YAMAHA and D’Addario Bowed Strings. 

Career Highlights

2011 brought Christian a nomination for Jazz Violinist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association, as well as the 1st place ranking in the Downbeat Critics Poll as the “Rising Star Jazz violinist”.

The 2013 Jazz Times Critics Poll recognized Christian as among the top three violinists in jazz.

In the Press

 “Not since Jean-Luc Ponty has a violinist ranged from pure classical to fuzz-tone rock to convincing jazz with such authority”. Neil Tesser, Chicago Reader

“The whole album [Southern Exposure] swims in a favorable climate of lyricism with flights of accordion crisscrossing those of the violin in rivalry with each other, in perfectly mastered dizzying arabesques, which are evidently the summit of the art.” Jacques Aboucaya, January 2013, JazzMan Magazine(translated from French) 

Showtimes:  7:30pm and 9:30pm   Admission:  $20.