Carla Kihlstedt

After completing her classical violin performance degree at the Oberlin Conservatory, Carla Kihlstedt established herself as a leading presence across both classical and improvised music circles. She has performed alongside John Zorn and Roscoe Mitchell while contributing to recordings by Eugene Chadbourne, the Grassy Knoll, and Tom Waits. Additional credits include appearances on Phillip Glass’s Music at the Anthology series, vocal performances, a collaboration with choreographer Jo Kreiter, and work as a graphic designer and illustrator. In the 1990s she performed with the Bay Area group Charming Hostess, then co-founded the chamber jazz ensemble Tin Hat Trio alongside accordionist Rob Burger and guitarist Mark Orton. The trio’s sound merges composed structures, improvisation, and contemporary classical elements with folk, world, and jazz influences. Their first album, Memory Is an Elephant, was issued in early 1999 on Angel Records, followed by Helium in spring 2000.