BIO

Whether touring the world with rock and pop music legends, recording some of Hollywood’s biggest film scores, soloing with the worlds’s best orchestras, or lending his unique talent to the hottest Broadway shows, national television programs, and Grammy Award winning albums –Christian Hebel is doing just about as much as one man can with a violin.

After seeing Itzhak Perlman on TV at a young age, Christian Hebel quickly became enamored with the instrument that would one day prove to be his calling. Private violin lessons soon lead to spots in a number of local symphonies in the Metro Detroit area, which in turn lead to a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Michigan State University, a Masters in Music from Mannes College of Music, and a position as Associate Concertmaster in the Lansing Symphony Orchestra under the legendary conductor Gustav Meier. Since then, he has gone on to perform as a recitalist and guest soloist throughout North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the West Indies, and as Concertmaster and soloist at venues including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Staples Center, O2 Arena, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and Madison Square Garden. Christian has soloed with the Atlanta Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Traverse City Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In addition to his classical music work, Christian’s mastery of the violin has earned him a slew of high-profile jobs in the worlds of popular music, Hollywood, Broadway and television. It’s more than likely that you’ve heard his inimitable playing on the soundtrack of one of your favorite films or plays—you just don’t know it yet. Over the years, he has toured the world with icons like Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, and George Benson and recorded, soloed and performed with musical luminaries including James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Diana Ross, The Roots, Bjork, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Rufus Wainwright, Reba McEntire, and many more. His recordings include multi-Platinum, Gold, Emmy, Academy Award and Grammy Award winning albums for Decca, Sony, Universal, Sony Classical, Rhino, Warner, Roc-a-fella,  Nonesuch and PS Classics. He just finished touring the world as the solo violinist for multiplatinum-selling superstar vocalist Josh Groban and was Music Consultant for Lionel Richie. Christian is currently on tour with Barbra Streisand as her solo violinist.

Christian Hebel’s filmography features megahits and critically acclaimed features such as The Social Network, Life of Pi, Moneyball, X-Men, True Grit, Sex And The City 2 (as onscreen Concertmaster),  Alice in Wonderland, Rio 2 and Superman Returns, and his work in film has granted him the opportunity to collaborate with a group of renowned film composers that includes John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Horner, Bill Ross, John Ottman, Alexandre Desplat, Carter Burwell, Thomas Newman, John Powell, Mychael Danna and Danny Elfman. He has appeared on The View, The Today Show, PBS Soundstage and The American Music Awards and his theater credits encompass both on and off-Broadway productions like The Light in the Piazza, The Last Five Years, Spring Awakening, The Farnsworth Invention, and Next to Normal. He was Concertmaster for the New York City Production of the hit Broadway musical Wicked for 12 years. Christian is honored to be an Artistic Director for the National YoungArts Foundation where he has directed performances at Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York Live Arts and will be directing an upcoming performance at The Kennedy Center.  The National YoungArts Foundation identifies and nurtures the most accomplished young artists from across the United States ages 15-18 in the visual, literary, design and performing arts and is the sole nominator for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

Christian had long been interested in musical disciplines outside of the classical sphere, and his time playing with mainstream pop and rock music icons has only served to strengthen his passion for music in all its forms. Today, he stands as one of the few professional violinists who can straddle multiple genres without missing a beat. With his bow he cuts a bold swath through the boundaries of style and genre, switching between classical, bluegrass, country, hip-hop, jazz, rock and pop at a moment’s notice—all while retaining his signature flair. From playing the fiddle in the acoustic Americana band The Frontier Heroes to acting as Director of the NYC-based Voice Of The City Ensemble, Christian Hebel’s creative repertoire is a testament to what one person can accomplish with a piece of wood, four strings, and a limitless imagination.