Vibraphonist and composer Stefon Harris has been heralded as "one of the most important young artists in jazz" by The Los Angeles Times. A graduate of The Manhattan School of Music, he received a bachelor's degree in music and a master's degree in music with an emphasis in jazz performance.



Stefon Harris is a recipient of the prestigious Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center and has earned Grammy nominations for several recordings including The Grand Unification Theory (2003), Kindred (2001), and Black Action Figure (1999).



He has been voted Best Mallet Player by the Jazz Journalist Association (2003, 2002, 2001, and 2000), Debut Artist of the Year by Jazz Times, Critics Poll Winner for Vibraphone and Rising Star by Down Beat, and 1999-2000 Readers Poll Best Vibraphonist by Jazziz.



Stephon Harris has performed at many of the world's most distinguished concert halls including Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The Kennedy Center, San Francisco's Herbst Theater, UCLA's Royce Hall, Chicago's Symphony Center, Detroit's Orchestra Hall, and The Sydney Opera House.



He has toured and recorded with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and performed his original compositions with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. As an active educator, Harris conducts over 100 clinics and lectures annually at schools and universities throughout the country.



Stefon Harris also serves on the Board of Directors for Chamber Music America. In addition to leading his own band, Harris has recorded as part of The Classical Jazz Quartet, a series of jazz-interpreted classics with Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Lewis Nash. He has also recorded and toured with Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Buster Williams, Charlie Hunter, Kurt Elling, Cyrus Chestnut, Steve Coleman, and Steve Turre.



Stefon Harris introduces and leads his band, Blackout, on the CD Evolution. The band includes Marc Cary on keyboards, Vicente Archer on bass, Terreon Gully on drums, and Casey Benjamin on alto saxophone. The band has performed at such venues as the North Sea Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Egg (Albany), Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Herbst Theater (San Francisco). In 2004, Jazz Times listed Evolution as one of top fifty compact disc recordings for the year.