ROBERT ANDERSON (violin) has been performing, recording, and composing in the Los Angeles area since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2000. A Yamaha artist, Robert performs with pioneering electric jazz trio Eartha Austria, Composers Ensemble Los Angeles, rock band Uncle Daddy, and Bear McCreary’s Battlestar Galactica Orchestra. Other notable performances include stage and television appearances with Katie Melua, Ray LaMontagne, Paul Oakenfold, Rhianna, and Pink. He can be heard on the soundtrack for TV programs “Battlestar Galactica,” “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Caprica,” “Human Target,”and “The Cape.”
As co-founder and music director of String Project Los Angeles, established in 2006, Robert enjoys teaching the art of improvisation and encouraging musical creativity in young string players. Robert travels throughout the country to educate teachers and students about creative string playing as a clinician for Yamaha Strings.
Additionally, he has served on the faculty at Christian Howes’ Creative String Workshop in Columbus, OH. Currently a violin coach for the Santa Monica High School orchestras and with the Elemental Strings program, Robert also leads the Electric Chamber Orchestra at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, CA. 2011 will be Robert’s 4th year teaching improvisation at Violafest Los Angeles, and his arrangements and compositions have been performed by a variety of youth orchestras throughout Southern California. Robert is a faculty member of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.
JACOB SZEKELY (cello) is a true musical rarity. As a performer, Mr. Szekely is one of the few legitimate improvising string players in the world, and one of only a handful of cellists who has developed a jazz/funk concept on his instrument. In addition to being in great demand as a sideman, performing with the likes of Mary J Blige and Jay Z, Jacob performs regularly with his own groups including: Supernova (jazz/fusion quartet), The Eartha Austria Trio (electric jazz), Quarteto Nuevo (world music), Uncle Daddy (acoustic pop) and Yellow Light Go (singer songwriter). Jacob is also active as a composer and arranger and has collaborated with a wide range of artists and ensembles from string quartets and world music groups, to commissions for chamber orchestra and children’s choirs.
Much in demand as a studio musician, Jacob has played in over one hundred national TV spots. Mr. Szekely is most widely associated with the television music of Bear Mcreary, performing in string quartets for such hit TV shows as Battlestar Gallactica, and most recently in an electric string ensemble for The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox.
In addition to his performances, Mr. Szekely devotes his time to education and outreach. Szekely is co-founder and artistic director of String Project Los Angeles (SPLA), America’s first and only music school dedicated to creative string playing. The school has been featured in Strings Magazine and International Musician and has hosted master classes with a virtual who’s who of the creative string world. Under Mr. Szekely’s leadership, String Project continues to grow as a resource for the alternative string playing community throughout the country. In addition to teaching at String Project, Mr. Szekely travels throughout the country as a Yamaha Clinician performing and educating string players and teachers alike. Mr. Szekely is a Yamaha clinician, and is endorsed by NS Design and Danish Professional Audio microphones. This past summer, Mr. Szekely was invited to be on the faculty of jazz violin master Christian Howes’s Creative Strings Workshop (CSW) in Columbus Ohio.
ANDREA WHITT (Viola), raised in Ohio, began her musical training at age 9 in school orchestras and private study. She also spent eight years performing in the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras often serving principal viola and performing solo performances. During her high school summers, Andrea attended Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.
Andrea completed both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in viola performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) under the instruction of Masao Kawasaki and Catharine Carroll. While in school she also performed with several city orchestras around Cincinnati and Columbus. During the summers she studied at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chamber Music Festival of Lucca in Italy, and the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles where she sat principal viola.
Jazz was added to her repertoire while an undergraduate, studying under Christian Howes, Brad Goode, Phil Degreg, and Kim Pensyl. She specialized in Brazilian jazz while playing in CCM’s Brazilian jazz combo and she performed alongside Patrick Williams, Joshua Bell, Hillary Hahn, Chris Brubeck, and Johnny Mendel. Her interest in jazz was sparked by many years attending jazz festivals in Michigan with her family.
Having moved to Los Angeles in 2007, Andrea performs both classical, jazz and rock, in combos and orchestras alike, including the Los Angeles Master Chorale and her band Jayar. She has appeared in a national commercial for Cricket Wireless and performed alongside Katie Melua on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. In addition to her private students, she also teaches beginning violin students in the LA public schools both during and after school.
Besides a musician, Andrea is an accomplished fine arts artist and ceramist, and practices yoga regularly. Recently Andrea launched her own greeting card line titled “Alto Designs.” She combines her artistic talents as she explores new musical languages and pathways to inspire passion and curiosity in her students.
JOHN CROOKS is a bassist, composer, and computer music programmer. His compositions expand the range of forms available to improvisers through use of novel computer-based frameworks. Recent works have used the mathematics of harmony to build real-time periodic forms and projected imagery from free improvisation, related simple harmonic progressions and improvisation to plant growth, and used Afro-Cuban rhythms as a basis for algorithmic accompaniment for improvisers.
As a bandleader, he has composed for and recorded with New Power Trio – which toured nationally (performing at top jazz clubs, universities, and concert series) and recorded three albums – and Crooks Band, a quartet that performed Crooks’ music at The Knitting Factory for which he also recorded two albums.
Freelancing as a studio, orchestra, and jazz musician since 1995, Crooks has performed at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, in the studio with David Foster and at Warner Brothers Studios, and at many prominent performance spaces, concert series, and clubs across the US.
A 2009 UC Irvine ICIT MFA, Crooks is conducting research on long-term patterns in rhythmic microtiming and improvisational processes in music.
As an educator, John has given master classes at Emory University, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California, and other schools. His online course at UC Irvine OpenCourseWare has been nominated for a 2011 OCW ACE award. Every summer he teaches Psychoacoustics, Math, and Creative Computing – an intensive full-time course offered through COSMOS-UC Irvine. In the Music Department, Crooks teaches Musicianship; the department’s required aural and rhythm skills course.
Of course, String Project | Los Angeles would not be possible without the efforts of numerous administrative staff members, volunteers, guest artists, and support vendors who tirelessly give of their time and talent to ensure the success of our organization and its mission.
Special recognition goes to faculty and staff members Carly Brydon, Diana Szekely, and Dave Diaz.
Thank you. You’re the best!