Having shared the stage with internationally renowned artists including Roberta Flack, MC Lyte, Denyce Graves, Tye Tribbett and Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots, emerging artist Chelsey Alyse Green, The Green Violinist, is certainly “environmentally sound” when it comes to today’s popular music scene.
A native of Houston, Texas, Green was born into a family of jazz and funk musicians and started her performance career as a violinist at age 5. Though inundated with music of all genres, she focused on classical music studying both privately and publicly at performing arts schools in the Houston public school system. In an effort to diversify her schooling, Green attended a traditional high school and was active in various academic and performance-based activities in other fields. The call to be a musician, however, was ever-present and saw Green returning to her first love, the violin.
Green’s philosophy– which developed as a classical violist on scholarship at The University of Texas at Austin– began to take shape while a summer intern at a Top 40 radio station in her hometown. As an intern, Green would dream of being on stage with the same artists and emcees she hustled coffee for at the station. Re-inspired by the famous hits of the past, she began to see a way of using acoustic string performances to enhance live, popular music, just as it did in the days of Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and Michael Jackson. Additionally, by fusing classical music with popular and original songs in various genres– including R&B, Pop, Soul, Funk, Latin, Alternative, Hip Hop, Go-Go, Inspirational, and Gospel– Green believed her various string arrangements could allow for a new appreciation of the capabilities of strings as they relate to everyday contemporary listening.
After moving to Baltimore to attend graduate school at The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Green soon saw the amazing talent in the city and knew immediately that her dream could start its realization.
Currently a doctoral student at the University of Maryland and a former Strathmore Artist-In-Residence, Chelsey Green and her ensemble, The Green Project, have definitely been shaking things up on the live music scene from coast to coast.
After their debut on October 31, 2009 at Baltimore’s famed Velvet Rope, they have been performing extensively across America.
Classically soloing in New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall at age 16, Green has been honored to perform in many highly regarded venues around the world, with several symphonies, and at many churches and congregations across the nation. Chelsey Green’s varied performance resume includes performances at the NAACP National Convention, Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, White House Correspondence Dinner Reception, BET Honors Dinner, Essence Music Festival, Macy’s Herald Square, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Lake Arbor Jazz Festival, The Music Center at Strathmore, the famed Blues Alley nightclub, Bobby Jones Gospel, The John F. Kennedy Center, and more!
Miss Green has also had the privilege of being interviewed on several radio and television stations including WHFC 91.1 Baltimore, WAMU 88.5 (NPR – Washington, DC), WTTG FOX 5 (Washington, DC) Morning News, WEAA 88.9 Baltimore and more.
Chelsey Green and The Green Project released their debut CD, “Still Green: The EP” in April 2012 to rave reviews! The album has sold around the world and has been featured on nationwide radio as well as in publications such as the Washington City Paper. Log on to iTunes, Amazon.com or CDBaby.com to listen and purchase your copy today!
Aside from her own projects, Chelsey has a multi-faceted discography including recordings in varied genres with artists such as Paul Carr (jazz), Ted Garber (americana), Maimouna Youssef (R&B/soul), Lori Williams (jazz), Macheeste (contemporary gospel), Carolyn Malachi (urban contemporary), Femi The DriFish (hip hop/spoken word), The Sweater Set (folk traditional), Aaron Hardin (jazz) and more.
*Short Press Bio Available Upon Request
