Diane Monroe

BIOGRAPHY

Diane Monroe is more than simply a fine performer. She is a violinist whose versatility and expressive artistry consistently bring audiences to their feet. Her visibility as a jazz artist began with her long-standing membership as first violinist of the Uptown String Quartet and the Max Roach Double Quartet. Her original compositions and arrangements have been highlighted on TV in The Cosby Show, CBS News Sunday Morning, and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, as well as in performances in major concert halls and festivals throughout the world. She has a special gift of drawing her audience into her performances with playing that is warm and compelling and with a superb technique.  “Violinist Diane Monroe delivered a rocking, raise-the-roof solo that could have been entitled ‘A Brief History of the Jazz Violin.'”  – ALL ABOUT JAZZ

ENSEMBLES

The Diane Monroe Quintet, Special Guest Paul Jost, Vocalist

“What Is This Thing Called ‘Freedom’?” – The Transforming and Timeless Songs of Protest
Having grown up in Philadelphia in the 1970’s performing in coffee houses around the City of Brotherly Love as a guitarist/singer/songwriter, these songs are part of the fabric of Diane Monroe’s life. The music of Bob Dylan, Gil Scott Heron, Richie Havens, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell and Billy Taylor (who can forget “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free?”). Monroe looks at these songs with more wisdom, experience and depth, and plays them with renewed passion, looking at them through the kaleidoscope of modern jazz.

Diane Monroe and Tony Miceli Duo (Jazz, Classical)
A unique duo of violin and vibraphone that provides an intimate look into the world of improvisation. Both artists hail from Philadelphia and draw upon their collective experiences growing up in the ’70s with popular music, rhythm & blues, folk, jazz and classical.

The Diane Monroe Quartet (Jazz)
This quartet offers a unique sound as they perform mostly original works and arrangements that blend jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, blues, Eastern Indian influences and heavy swing.

Diane Monroe, Violin (Jazz, Classical, Beyond)
This unaccompanied violin program takes the listener on a soulful journey of spirituals, jazz improvisations, blues, and classical music.

Diane Monroe “Music of Three Masters” (Jazz, Classical)
Dr. Billy Taylor, Chick Corea and Dr. David Baker, all three NEA Jazz Masters, are three of the most successful composers who have written works that marry the genres of jazz and classical. This program of rarely performed works includes Taylor’s “Homage” and “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” Corea’s “Addendum,” and Baker’s Sonata for Jazz Violin and String Quartet.

PROMO PHOTOS

SOUND CLIPS

PRESS QUOTES

“To me, Diane’s playing is so deep in feeling and steeped in the essence of jazz. She’s a joy to listen to.”
Bruce Barth, Pianist

“Violinist Diane Monroe delivered a rocking, raise-the-roof solo that could have been entitled “A Brief History of the Jazz Violin.”

All About Jazz

“Listening to Diane Monroe play jazz violin–whether solo, duo, or in a group–what’s immediately evident is how great an improviser she is, fitting seamlessly with the music and the group, breathing and moving with the music. Only then does it become clear that she possesses the precision, complexity, and technique of a classical concert violinist.”
AllAboutJazz.com

“heart-felt and served up with a delicious dollop of the blues”
The Baltimore Sun

“…All the expressive and technical resource of the violin…”
The Philadelphia Inquirer

“An especially prominent and memorable soloist”
San Francisco Examiner

“she has a direct line to the soul of the music she performs. She is a real artist.”
NY Amsterdam News

“an exceptionally gifted and dedicated musician and a charming and wonderful person!”
Rudolf Serkin, Pianist

“a brilliant violinist whose heart, wit, and intelligence give unforgettable meaning to every performance”
Arnold Steinhardt, Violinist

“Monroe is simply a superlative musician”
Austin American-Statesman

“a violinist with a special gift for drawing her audience into the performance”
Anthony Checchia, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

PRESS

• Diane Monroe Biography (PDF)
• Interview: Diane Monroe: Bridging Diverse Musical Worlds
• Review: Philadelphia Music Project: Crossing Cultures (pdf)
• Review: Philadelphia Museum (pdf)
• Review: With the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra (pdf)

TOUR DATES

No shows booked at the moment.