Ann Marie Calhoun

Ann Marie Calhoun’s music career began at the tender age of 3 when she began taking violin lessons. She earned a fellowship with the National Symphony Orchestra during high school. She has branched out from her classical music training to work with music industry heavyweights such as The Dave Matthews Band, Mick Jagger, Steve Vai, Ringo Star and Widespread Panic.
My first exposure to Calhoun came through the Youtube video titled “Phish fiddle.” Calhoun performed the Phish song “Stash” and even those who hate the neo-hippy band would be impressed by the violin virtuoso’s treatment of the song. Clocking in at just over six minutes, the song requires a significant investment in time that more than pays off.
After playing through the song’s composed sections a couple times, Calhoun begins an improvised solo around the three-minute mark and hits full face-melting mode at 4:25 in.
Few musicians feel equally at home in both the classical realm and the improvisational world. Calhoun’s music flows effortlessly and no matter how many times I hear “Phish fiddle,” I always get goose bumps.