 Bloomington native Sara Caswell, a Wells Scholar and graduate of Indiana University's School of Music with a BM'00 in violin performance and jazz studies and an Artist Diploma'02 in violin performance, is now living in New York City beginning her second year of study toward a master's degree in Jazz Violin at the Manhattan School of Music.
In addition to her studies, Caswell is currently promoting the recent release of her second CD “But Beautiful” on Arbors Records. Her debut CD “First Song” was released in 2000 on Double-Time Records. Her new CD has received rave reviews and was recently ranked #1 by Bob Parlocha, host of the nationally syndicated radio program Jazz with Bob Parlocha, on his list of Top 40 New Releases. She will give a CD release concert at the John Waldron Arts Center in Bloomington on Sunday, October 2, at 3:00 pm.
Besides leading her own quartet, Caswell is a member of the New York Pops Orchestra under the direction of Skitch Henderson who has featured her numerous times, not only with the orchestra and the New York Pops Jazz Allstars in Carnegie Hall, but also with his own trio including a recent concert at the 2005 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. At MSM, she is the concertmistress of the Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra and, last spring, was featured with her sextet, which included IU Music School grads Rahsaan and Roland Barber, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center as part of their Upstarts! Concert Series.
Caswell often joins forces with her sister Rachel, jazz vocalist and IU School of Music alumna, in concerts and jazz improvisation workshops across the country. In January, she will participate in a concert given by Rachel and bassist Jeremy Allen who have been invited to perform at the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Annual Conference in New York.
Caswell continues to teach privately as well as for such organizations and annual events as the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp and Strings Conference, where she has taught since 1998, and the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division beginning this fall.
Her IU teachers trained her well for her career: violin with Josef Gingold, Henryk Kowalski, Franco Gulli, Mimi Zweig, and Stanley Ritchie, and jazz improvisation with David Baker and Pat Harbison. Through the years, she has won over 100 music awards and competitions in both the classical and jazz worlds as well as numerous music and academic scholarships. She has performed with notable musicians such as Charlie Byrd, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gene Bertoncini, John Clayton, Johnny Frigo, John Blake Jr., Ingrid Jensen, and many others.
Caswell grew up in a musical household. Her father is Austin Caswell, professor emeritus of musicology at IU, and her mother Judith, a pianist and organist with a PhD in musicology, worked with both daughters throughout their formative years of music studies.
For more information, visit www.caswellsisters.com.
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