

Charisa Rouse, contemporary violinist and vocalist has devoted her career to challenging every preconception of what the violin (and violinist!) can accomplish in contemporary music. Classically trained, her diversity has allowed her to travel the world, recording and performing alongside such artists as Demi Lovato, Vivian Green, Kim Burrell, Cyndi Lauper, William McDowell, Diana Krall, and Quincy Jones, to name a few. More than just a performer, Charisa fundamentally recognizes the importance of string programs in American public schools as an in-demand teaching artist. She has developed “the New Urban Strings Curriculum” targeted at reaching young minority string players; a curriculum which she uses regularly in the two NYC public school programs she founded a decade ago, reaching 200 black and latino students annually. As an established recording artist, she is constantly recording new projects, including a worship album to be released this year.

A native of Washington DC where she began her string studies in a very similar public school program, Charisa went on to the Bachelor’s Degree cum laude on full scholarship, and later garnered her Master’s degree in Music which brought her to the NYC area.
2024 Summer Arts Institute Finale (Evening Performance)
Performance at Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center: SAI 2024 Strings at Lincoln Center Chamber Music Performance: • SAI 2024 Strings Recital – Conductors: Charisa Rouse, Page Silverman, Barry Stern
Since then, Charisa has continued to perform regularly with her several diverse groups, winning the Apollo Amateur Night Competition, performing for senators and dignitaries, rocking next to Patti Labelle and Misty Copeland on BET Black Girl’s Rock, winning the McDonald’s Gospelfest Competition at the Prudential Center, on tour with Bernard Fowler from the Rolling Stones, and featuring at Summerstage in the city with her unique fusion of soul, ja.

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