Gwen Laster, violin
Gwen Laster is a composer, performer, classically trained artist/scholar of Afro- American music heritage. Awards NEA, MPower Sphinx, Puffin Foundation, Arts Mid-Hudson, New Music USA, "Best of Jazz Violin" -All About Jazz-, Dutchess County Executive Arts Award. As a Detroiter her love of improvising/composing came by way of her parents' love of jazz, blues and her jazz educators in Detroit's public schools. She holds two degrees in music from University of Michigan and resides in New York. She's currently working on her fifth recording as a band leader.