Jennifer Frantz is a violist, violinist that is often called “jack of all traits”. From Classical, to jazz, to hip-hop she can fit into any style of music. She has a unique voice that can be carried out in not only different styles but through her own compositions and teachings. Currently Jennifer plays throughout the New York City Metropolitan Area. Jennifer is a member of the New York Arabic Orchestra performing at; Globalfest at Lincoln Center, The Commemoration Nakba at United Nations Headquarter and recorded for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. She also is a part of Les Femmes Cinq which is a collective of all female composers who write and play their own music.
In recent years, Jennifer performed at Carnegie Hall for the world Premiere of Music for the Spirit of the People. She has played with Kaki King on the New York Public Radio. She was an orchestral member in Jacob Collier’s Imagination of the Charts and Djesse concerts as well as in Terrance Blanchard’s orchestral performance of A Tale of God’s Will. She also performed with many musicians such as Tigran Hamasyan, Pablo Ziegler, Howard Levy, Glen Velez, and Darol Anger. Jennifer can be heard on Kenny Warner and Peter Eldridge on “Somewhere”, and Kaki King “Live at Berklee” as an orchestral musician. Jennifer was on Donnelly's album "Possibilities" released in 2016. She was featured on “Children Play with Fire” with nombreKARI that was nominated for album of the year in 2021 in the Chicago Reader. She recorded viola for the band Sleeping Lions on “Stop It” stripped down version. She can also be heard on Versilian Studio’s virtual instruments viola section sample library.
“Jenny’s compositions often gravitate towards the autobiographical or philosophical. Pulling no punches, she still retains a certain empathy, humor, or sweetness that disarms and touches her listeners, even when the explored truths are hard.” –David Wallace, Berklee String Department Chair
During the summer of 2016 Jennifer was selected to participate in Eugene Friesen’s World String Seminar. In that time she wrote her first orchestral piece entitled “Residue” which was performed there and in 2017 and 2021 throughout the east cost. She has a series of duets that feature 2 violas or violin, viola as well as jazz viola quartets that have been performed across the U.S and in Italy. Jennifer also has a collection of arrangements for school orchestras that highlight how to teach multi-styles as well as improvisation in a group setting.
Jennifer studied with Regina Carter, and Martha Mooke at New Jersey City University on a Presidential Scholarship where she received her Masters. She has her Bachelor’s from Berklee College of Music where she studied with David Wallace, Rob Thomas, Eugene Friesen and Darol Anger and was awarded the North American Tour Scholarship and Berklee Achievement Grants.
Resume available upon request.