Kersten Stevens
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Kersten Stevens—Queen of the Violin—is a genre-defying artist and composer whose electrifying, luminous performances turn every stage into a sanctuary. A Yale alumna and six-time winner of Amateur Night and Showtime at The Apollo, she has shared the stage with Christian McBride, Faith Evans, Regina Carter, Kim Burrell, and Keyon Harrold. Her performances have moved icons like President Barack Obama, Angela Bassett, Babyface, Usher, and Denzel Washington.
Kersten’s journey began at age three, when she first picked up the violin. By twelve, she had discovered jazz—unlocking a lifelong passion for improvisation and genre-bending expression. Her early talent earned top honors from the NAACP ACT-SO Awards and the Hal Jackson’s Talented Teen competition. A graduate of Yale with dual degrees in Music and African American Studies, she went on to study under legendary jazz violinist John Blake Jr., honing a sound that is technically masterful, spiritually rooted, and creatively boundless. Her latest album, QUEEN RISING—produced and featuring performances with 11x GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride—debuted in the JazzWeek Top 40.
Her forthcoming album, QUEEN OF THE VIOLIN: Live!, will be released in 2027.
Queen of the Violin and Friends: Live!
A Yale-trained jazz violinist and six-time winner at the Apollo whose album QUEEN RISING, made with Christian McBride, debuted in the JazzWeek Top 40.
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