Erica von Kleist is a jazz flautist, saxophonist, and composer. She is a descendant of the Pomeranian Prussian noble family von Kleist. As an educator, She has taught privately for over 15 years. She has released three albums as a bandleader – ''Project E'' in 2005, ''Erica von Kleist & No Exceptions'' in 2009 and ''Alpine Clarity'' in 2014
Music career
Von Kleist was born in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
and took piano lessons at the age of five. When she was nine, she became interested in the flute after hearing music from the movie ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...
West Hartford, CT
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
, a school famous for its strong Jazz program, and was part of the jazz band when it won the Essentially Ellington Competition at
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center is part of Lincoln Center in New York City. The organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center in October 2004. Wynton Marsalis is the artistic director and the leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orches ...
.
Von Kleist went to the
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...
, then
Juilliard
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
, graduating in 2004. She toured with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and appeared on two of their albums which were nominated for
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. She has performed or recorded with
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awar ...
and the
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. The Orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City.
History
In 1988 the Orchestra was formed a ...
,
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Darcy James Argue is a jazz composer and bandleader known for his work with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society.
Biography
Argue was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He studied at McGill University in Montreal from 1993–1998, and in 2000 ...
, and
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...
. Her debut album was ''Project E'' (2005), followed by ''Erica von Kleist and No Exceptions'' (2010), and ''Alpine Clarity'' (2014). In 2012, she left New York City and moved to
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
, where she performs, records, teaches, and runs two businesses.
As an educator, von Kleist has participated in Horns to Havana, which gives musical instruments to students in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
Erica
Erica or ERICA may refer to:
* Erica (given name)
* ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus
* Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America
* ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game
* ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus
* Eric ...