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Mimi Rabson - violinist, violist, composer, educator
Dubbed "...dazzling, violin phenom" by the Boston Globe, Mimi Rabson has distinguished herself as one of Boston's most creative and versatile musicians. She appears regularly in classical, jazz, Klezmer and other eclectic performances and frequently leads her own ensembles. She is a first-prize winner of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in composition for 2003.
In Ms. Rabson 2003 recording she uses her electric violin in a power trio setting with electric bass and drums. That recording, called "Music", features noise-rock, post-jazz and electro-acoustic compositions and improvisations. She won the MCC composition award for works on that recording.
Ms. Rabson was a founding member of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and worked with that organization for many years touring, recording, composing and acting as musical director. Ms. Rabson appeared with Itzhak Perlman on “The Late Show with David Letterman" and was featured in a documentary about Klezmer music called "A Jumpin' Night in the Garden of Eden". Ms. Rabson served as musical director to academy award winner, Joel Grey in his production of “Borschtcapades ‘94”. Her composition "Klezzified" was featured on Saturday Night Live.
Her recent commissions include "The Half Step Suite" for the Cello Chix and "Bow and Scrape" for Rivers Music School. “Bow and Scrape” was performed at the 29th Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young in April, 07.
Ms. Rabson offers a clinic to string teachers about incorporating improvisation into the curriculum. She has presented this event at locations that include Bates College, The Conservatory Lab School in Brighton, MA and the Winchester Public Schools. She has also presented clinics on improvisation at Wellesley College, the Longy School of Music.
Ms. Rabson's other performance credits include the premiere of “Fresh Faust” by Leroy Jenkins, soundtrack for “Sensorium”- the award winning film by Karen Aqua, Bruno Raberg, the Pablo Ablenado Octet, Chris Florio, the Boston Gay Men's Choir, the Boston Camarata, the New England Ragtime Ensemble, the Klezmatics, Sabana Blanca, Abby Rabinovitz, Deborah Henson-Conant, and XLCR. She has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion twice, at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Wolf Trap, the Mann Center, the Place des Arts in Montreal and at many other world class venues.