Caitlin Edwards is a visionary artist who seamlessly blends her cultural roots with her musical upbringing to curate performances that resonate with authenticity, impact, and joy. Caitlin began her journey with the violin at the age of eight through the Music Opportunity Program in Birmingham, Alabama. Since then, her multifaceted career as a violinist, composer, and youth advocate has earned her widespread recognition as a musical force in Chicago and beyond, captivating audiences on both national and international stages. In August 2021, Caitlin released her debut solo album, Exhale, a transcending work that merges the elegance of classical music with the soulful harmonies of gospel and neo-soul. Her performance credits speak to the caliber of her musicianship, as she has performed and recorded alongside iconic artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Earth Wind and Fire, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Stewart Copeland, Common, Lucky Daye, Yolanda Adams, India Arie, PJ Morton, and more. Notably, Caitlin contributed her sound to the ReCollective Orchestra in recording the movie score for the Disney movie, “The Lion King,” at Sony Studios in April of 2019. She has received four Grammy certificates for her work on these projects. Caitlin’s orchestral work is equally inspiring. She has contributed to ensembles such as the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Nairobi Philharmonic, Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, and the ReCollective Orchestra in New York City and Los Angeles. In 2021, she was a featured soloist in recital for the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Music Made Classic series, and for live WFMT broadcast with the Dame Myra Hess series in 2021 and 2023. Caitlin also toured with the Sphinx Virtuosi and Ensemble Dal Niente, performing at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Sala São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil. Caitlin’s versatile career has been celebrated with numerous accolades. She is a 2023 Sphinx MPower Artist Grant recipient, a 2022 Esteemed Artist Awardee from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and a 2021 3Arts/Walder Foundation Award winner. Caitlin made her solo debut in Europe in 2024, performing works for solo violin by Corie Rose Soumah and Charles Uzor. As a soloist, Caitlin received the 2018 Rising Star Award from the Gateways Music Festival and won the University of Louisville Concerto Competition in 2017, performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. She has appeared as a soloist with the Richmond Symphony, Lakeview Orchestra, Chicago Solisti, Alabama Youth Symphony, and was a finalist in the Collegiate Virtuoso Concerto Competition held in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, she was a featured soloist in the award-winning documentary Dreams of Hope (Violins of Hope), which premiered on PBS stations across the U.S. Beyond her musical achievements, Caitlin is a passionate activist, dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and advancing social justice causes in her city. Her dream is to see Black voices and faces normalized in traditionally monopolized spaces challenging the status quo in classical music. She aspires for listeners to see themselves in her music, to connect, and to find healing in their own way. Caitlin currently mentors with the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, a program designed to support passionate BIPOC youth pursuing careers in classical music. She frequently performs with her string quartet, D-Composed (a Black chamber music collective), Sphinx Virtuosi, and Ensemble Dal Niente, while also collaborating regularly with other Chicago artists. Recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208, Caitlin is proud to amplify and serve the vibrant community of musicians in Chicago. She hopes to inspire and educate the next generation of young Black musicians.