Esperanza Spalding

Grammy-winning jazz prodigy who redefined modern bass-playing and music education

Esperanza Spalding (b. 1984) shattered stereotypes as a genre-blending bassist, vocalist, and composer who became the first jazz artist to win the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011. Her fusion of jazz, soul, and global rhythms created a new paradigm for 21st-century music.

A child prodigy from Portland, Oregon, Spalding taught herself violin by age 5 and later mastered bass. At 20, she became Berklee College of Music's youngest professor. Her 2010 album Chamber Music Society blended classical rigor with improvisational daring, while 2012's Radio Music Society tackled social issues through funk-infused jazz.

Beyond performance, Spalding advocates for democratizing music education. Her 2017 project 'Exposure' involved livestreaming 77 hours of album creation to 7,000 fans. In 2021, she composed the opera '... (Iphigenia)' reimagining Greek tragedy through Black feminist perspectives.