Mimi Rabson

Mimi Rabson - violinist, violist, composer, arranger, educator

Dubbed "...dazzling, violin phenom" by the Boston Globe, Mimi Rabson has distinguished herself as one of Boston's most creative and versatile musicians.

She is a first-prize winner of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in composition. Her compositions and arrangements are published by StringLetter Press (distributed by Hal Leonard). Her published works include arrangements of music by Duke Ellington, James Brown and Cole Porter as well as her own originals. Her music and her articles appear frequently on the pages of Strings Magazine. Her newest compositions include a formal string quartet, performed and recorded by the Berklee Chamber Players, and a string trio that offers classically trained musicians an outlet for improvisation.

With the support of a grant from the Berklee College of Music, Ms. Rabson commissioned six fellow Berklee faculty members to compose new works for solo violin. Those works range in style from rock to hip hop and include contemporary practices such as improvisation, interaction with computer and effects pedals. She used her electric violin in a power trio setting with electric bass and drums to record "Music", featuring noise-rock, post-jazz and electro-acoustic compositions and improvisations. RESQ - the Really Eclectic String Quartet, created by Ms. Rabson, performs her original compositions in addition to arrangements of jazz, funk, fusion, gospel, and Latin music. The group has produced two recordings: “The Really Eclectic String Quartet,” and “To the RESQ.” A founding member of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Ms. Rabson worked with that organization for many years touring, recording, composing and acting as musical director.

She appeared with Itzhak Perlman on the recording called “In the Fiddler’s House” and on “The Late Show with David Letterman," and was featured in a documentary about Klezmer music called "A Jumpin' Night in the Garden of Eden." Ms. Rabson served as musical director to academy award winner, Joel Grey, in his production of “Borschtcapades ’94.” Her composition "Klezzified" was featured on Saturday Night Live.

Other performance credits include the premiere of “Fresh Faust” by Leroy Jenkins, the soundtrack for “Sensorium”- the award winning film by Karen Aqua, and appearances with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Meatloaf, Kristin Chenoweth, the Boston Gay Men's Choir, the Boston Camarata, the New England Ragtime Ensemble, the Klezmatics, Deborah Henson- Conant, the Pablo Ablanedo Octet, and XLCR. She has performed on “A Prairie Home Companion” twice, and has appeared at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Wolf Trap, the Mann Center, the Place des Arts in Montreal and other world class venues.

Ms. Rabson is a sought after clinician and has presented at The Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp, ASTA, and numerous schools and colleges. An Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, she has received several Berklee grants to support her creative endeavors. She is a Yamaha String Educator.

“ … very attractive, harmonic package … her beautiful, musky sound on electric violin brought back some nice memories of Stuff Smith.” – ArtsFuse.

“… aggressively eclectic and a master of every style she touches” – Bowed Radio Show less