Carla Kihlstedt

Though the cornerstone of Carla Kihlstedt’s musical vocabulary comes from her background as a classically-trained violinst, her hydra-headed musical personality defiantly resists categorization in any genre. A dynamic and playful artistic sensibility have brought her from her beginnings as a viruosic young classical musician, through several major US conservatories, to her dynamic recent career as a bandleader, theater artist, indie phenomenon, and experimental composer. She manages her own label, 12 Cups, and has also released albums on Tzadik, collaborating with such musicians as Fred Frith, Tom Waits, Lisa Bielawa, the Rova Saxophone Quartet and the Bang on a Can All-Stars.