About Lesa
Lesa Terry is guided by the artistic force that inspires the human spirit. The theme of her life is awakening through creative expression by excelling as a violinist in the European classical tradition and in the field of Jazz as an educator, composer, arranger and bandleader. Lesa’s passion for the Negro Spiritual given early in her childhood by her mother, along with a love of Duke Ellington, inspires her commitment to broaden the scope of music, bringing awareness and focus to the violin as a diverse instrument of creativity. Lesa’s mission is to create programming that blends diverse soundscapes and illuminates the beauty and wonder found within our multicultural world.
Lesa earned a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Northridge; a Master’s of Music in Afro Latin Studies from California State University, Los Angeles; and most notably, is the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Rhode Island. A former faculty member at Spelman College in Atlanta, she has also taught at NYU, the University of Massachusetts, Alabama State University, and Santa Monica Community College, and has presented workshops, clinics, and performances at the Juilliard School of Music, Mozarteum International Summer Academy, and Anna Deavere Smith Pipeline Project. Additionally, Lesa has been presented throughout Africa, Europe, Caribbean, and in the USA as a performer, lecturer, and resident artist.
As a member of both the acclaimed Uptown String Quartet and the Double Quartet founded by the legendary drummer Max Roach, Lesa has composed, arranged, and performed on the groundbreaking recordings Max Roach Presents the Uptown String Quartet and Just Wait a Minute. A tremendous debt of gratitude is owed to Max Roach, whose innovative vision brought strings to the forefront and played an integral role in his groundbreaking ensembles.
Lesa’s acclaimed premiere performance concert presentation entitled Reflections of Ellington, featuring Jazz legends Clark Terry, Al Gray, Sir Roland Hanna, Ray Drummond, Ben Riley, and the Lesa Terry String Ensemble, earned her the prestigious Meet the Composer Grant as well as the Fund for New York Award. She has also been highlighted with the McCoy Tyner Trio in affiliation with the Brooklyn Philharmonic.
Her credits as a violinist include more than a dozen Broadway shows, soundtracks for Spike Lee films, The Cosby Show and The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning broadcasts, and performances at Lincoln Center including the Boys Choir of Harlem. Lesa also served as a featured presenter at the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, and the American String Teachers Association.
Notable studio recordings and/or concerts with Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Vanessa Williams, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Peabo Bryson, Jennifer Holiday, Smokey Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Queen Latifah, Joe Williams, Kenny Burrell, Quincy Jones, Al Grey, and Sir Roland Hanna.
Her featured solo credits include A City Called Heaven for Jazz Violin, inspired by renowned trumpeter Clark Terry—Lesa’s cousin, who served as a major catalyst to Lesa in her pursuit of Jazz.
Lesa’s Broadway credits include The Phantom of the Opera, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Les Misérables, Show Boat, Miss Saigon, Black and Blue, My Fair Lady, Crazy For You, Into the Woods, Camelot, and Ragtime.
Motion picture soundtracks include School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, and Ragtime, as well as a very special appearance with the Uptown String Quartet in the film called A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks.
