The Michael Jefry Stevens Quartet featuring Christian Howes

Experience what its like to be a performer on the TFAC stage during TFAC's Stage Door Jazz Series. This quartet features Michael Jefry Stevens on the piano, Christian Howes on violin, Rick Dilling on drums and Adam Booker on bass. Pianist, Composer and “Steinway Artist,” Michael Jefry Stevens performs extensively in Europe, Latin America and North America. He has composed over 340 works for both large and small ensembles. An active band-leader for over 35 years, his current working musical ensembles include the "Conference Call Quartet," the "Fonda/Stevens Group," the Hungarian "Eastern Boundary Quartet," his collaboration with New Orleans horn man, Brian “Breeze” Cayolle, his recent collaboration with Dame Evelyn Glennie, and his 12 piece North Carolina based “Mountain Chamber Jazz Ensemble.” Michael has released over 100 cds featuring his own music and has performed and/or recorded extensively with many of the top names in Jazz, including Dave Liebman, Oliver Lake, Dave Douglas, Leo Smith, Matt Wilson, Han Bennink, Mark Feldman, Pheeroan AkLaff, Charles Moffett Sr., Dame Evelyn Glennie, Billy Martin and many others. In 2016 Michael was voted “Best Composer of WNC” by the Mountain Xpress, and received a 2017 Regional Project Artist Grant from the Toe River Arts Council.

Violinist, educator and composer, Christian Howes was voted #1 in the Downbeat Critics Poll (“Rising Stars/Violin”), named among the top three jazz violinists in the JazzTimes critics poll, and nominated for Violinist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association. He received the Residency Partner Award through Chamber Music America, earned a USArtists grant through the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and was invited by the U.S. State department to teach and perform as a cultural ambassador twice, in Ukraine and Montenegro. His release on Resonance Records, “Southern Exposure” earned recognition in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Downbeat, Jazz Times, as well as a six-night run at Lincoln Center. His release, “American Spirit” was named among the Best Jazz Albums of the Year″ by the Huffington Post. Howes is the founder of “Creative Strings“, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to expand music education through the creation of online curriculum, conferences, and visits to schools teaching improvisation, contemporary styles, and related subjects. He endorses Yamaha violins and D’Addario strings.