String musician Dr. Chelsey Green (B.M., Music Performance, 2007) will address the graduating class of 2018 at commencement ceremonies for the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. The ceremony takes place at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 18 in Bass Concert Hall.
Green and her ensemble, The Green Project, aim to tear down all stereotypes of the violin and viola by fusing traditional classical technique with popular favorites and original songs in various genres—including R&B, pop, soul, funk, jazz, alternative, hip hop, gospel and more. Dedicated to educating youth, The Green Project provides a wide range of educational music workshops to city and county schools, after school programs and educational groups. Committed to spreading the love of live music to younger generations, Green and The Green Project work with students from all backgrounds and expose them to the possibilities of what music can be.
A native of Houston, Texas, Green was born into a family of jazz and funk musicians and started her performance career as a violinist at age 5. Though inundated with music of all genres, she focused on classical music, studying both privately and publicly at performing arts schools in the Houston public school system.
Green received a scholarship for classical viola studies in the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Green then went on to receive her Master’s degree in viola performance from The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland College Park. Most recently, Green has been appointed associate professor in the string department at Berklee College of Music.
Classically soloing in New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall at age 16, Green and The Green Project have performed in many highly regarded venues around the world. Green’s varied performance resume includes performances at the CBS Late Show with David Letterman, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the opening of The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Essence Music Festival, Bahrain Spring of Culture Festival, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Kuwaiti National Opera House, the John F. Kennedy Center and more.
Recently, Green was featured in a nationally syndicated Walmart commercial produced by BET Networks that premiered during the 2017 Soul Train Awards.
Photo by Derrel Todd Photography.