Karen Briggs (musician)
| Karen Briggs | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Lady in Red |
| Born |
August 12, 1963 Manhattan, New York City, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, contemporary instrumental |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Associated acts | Yanni, Vertú |
| Website | www |
Karen Briggs (born August 12, 1963), also known as the "Lady in Red", is an American violinist. Born in Manhattan to a family of musicians, Briggs took up the violin at age 12 and committed to playing professionally at age 15. Briggs joined the Virginia Symphony Orchestra while still in college, but grew discontented with performing classical music and left the orchestra after four years. Since then, she has performed predominantly in the jazz and contemporary instrumental genres.
Best known for spending thirteen years on tour with contemporary instrumental musician Yanni, Briggs received the "Lady in Red" moniker while featuring as a soloist on Yanni's Live at the Acropolis tour. After parting with Yanni in 2004, she toured with other groups including the short-lived jazz fusion group Vertú. Briggs has performed at such locations as Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and has performed or collaborated with Dave Grusin, Diana Ross, the Wu Tang Clan, En Vogue, and Chaka Khan.
Briggs was born in Manhattan, New York City on August 12, 1963, to Frank Briggs, Jr. and Ruthie Powell. Her father played saxophone and sang in a Doo-wop group, her grandfather played trumpet and piano, and many other members of her family were either musicians or singers. The family lived in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood and Englewood, New Jersey before moving to Portsmouth, Virginia, where Karen grew up. Briggs began taking violin lessons at twelve years old, and as a child had a talent for playing violin pieces by ear.
...
Wikipedia