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Stefon Harris
Stefon Harris at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2007. Photo by Siebe van Ineveld
Background information
Born	1973
Genres	Post-bop Hard bop Progressive jazz Contemporary jazz
Instruments	vibraphone marimba
Years active	1998 — present
Labels	Blue Note
Associated acts	Classical Jazz Quartet
Website	http://www.stefonharris.com

Stefon Harris (born 1973) is an American jazz vibraphonist. In 1999, the Los Angeles Times called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz"^[1] who is "at the forefront of new New York music" and "much in demand as a star sideman".^[2] Harris has played with several jazz luminaries including Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, Kurt Elling, and Charlie Hunter, in addition to releasing several of his own critically well-regarded albums.

Harris is a resident of Newark, New Jersey.^[3]

Education and early career

A 1991 graduate of Albany High School, Harris earned his bachelor's (in 1995) and master's (in 1997) from Manhattan School of Music in New York City.^[4] He credited his teachers in High School with recognizing his "passion for music early on and offered lessons and the chance to bring home instruments to practice."^[4] He has stated that "Music education and performance in ensembles, like the Empire State Youth Orchestra, exposed me to me to other cultures and genres."^[4] He also was the captain of the high school wrestling team.^[4] Of Manhattan School of Music he has said: "The School gave me the opportunity to explore the diversity of both classical and jazz music and find the direction I wanted to go artistically."

Performances

He plays the vibraphone, has composed music, and has released six CDs.^[4]

He has performed throughout North America and Australia, from New York's Lincoln Center, to San Francisco, Chicago, East Lansing, Michigan, Troy, New York, and Sydney, Australia.^[4] In April 2009, he will headline at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California.^{[5] [6]}

Discography

As member of The Classical Jazz Quartet

• Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker (2001, Vertical Jazz) (deleted)
• The Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Bach (Vertical Jazz, 2002)
• The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Rachmaninov (May 16, 2006, Kind of Blue)
• The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Tchaikovsky (September 19, 2006)
• Christmas (2006)^[7]

References

External links

• Official Stefon Harris website