Individual bios: Stephanie Matthews, Naira Underwood, Adiza Sanchez-Rahim, Patrice JacksonNaira Underwood, 24, is native of Pensacola, FL and began playing the violin at the young age of four. Since then, she has been featured as a soloist on NPR Radio, WUWF Classical Jazz Radio and WEAR TV. She was the First Prize winner of the Doris Kahn Concerto Competition and a semi-finalist in the National Sphinx Competition. She has performed in master classes for many great violin pedagogues, namely Arnold Steinhardt, Pamela Frank, Ida Kafavian, and Pinchas Zukerman.
Ms. Underwood served as the Concert Master of the Pensacola Youth Orchestra and was an Artist in Residence at the 2005 Sphinx Performance Academy. She currently serves as an Artist in Residence for the Noel Pointer Foundation. As a chamber musician, Ms. Underwood has performed throughout the Tri-state and New York Metropolitan area including the Tillary Chamber Music Series and the Quilts Chamber Festival in New York’s historic Washington Square. Naira is currently a member of the Ebony Strings Quartet which made its Lincoln Center debut in March 2006.
In addition to being a solo artist and chamber musician, Ms. Underwood is a music educator and works with students throughout the New York City area. Ms. Underwood also enjoys performing various non-classical genres of music. She has recorded with world renowned Grammy Award winning gospel artists Donnie McClurkin and Richard Smallwood, and has performed with Grammy Award winner and recording artist Kanye West. Ms. Underwood earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music and Master of Music degree from New York University where she studied with Sally Thomas and Ann Setzer.