Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding is a musician from the United States who plays bass and also sings, writes songs, and composes. Born in Portland, Oregon, she started performing professionally as a violinist with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five. She studied music at Portland State University and Berklee College of Music. Her debut album, Junjo, came out in 2006, and after signing with Heads Up, she released a self-titled album in 2008. Chamber Music Society (2010) reached number 34 on the Billboard 200 and earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist. Radio Music Society (2012) won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, while its track City of Roses took Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals. Her later records include Emily's D+Evolution, Exposure, and 12 Little Spells, which hit number one on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums and won another Grammy. She has taught at Berklee and Harvard, and she wrote the libretto for the opera Iphigenia.