2022 Sphinx Competition winner KEBRA-SEYOUN CHARLES (they/them) is a double bassist and composer lauded for their innovative and integrated approach to musical expression, as both soloist and creator. As a modern virtuoso and composer of concerti, ballets, and pop ballads, Kebra’s music has been praised for its “buoyancy and verve — pushing the far reaches of tonality while savoring hummable grooves” (ICareIfYouListen). A rising star and advocate for a more inclusive classical music community, The Strad confirms that “Versatility defines Charles’s approach.”

The 2024/2025 season opens with the world premiere of Kebra’s new double bass concerto Nightlife conducted by Mei-Ann Chen at Carnegie Hall featuring the American Composers Orchestra. This season also features the premiere of a new ballet commissioned by Peter London Global Dance Company in Miami, plus chamber collaborations with NYC supergroups Bang On a Can, Alarm Will Sound, and International Contemporary Ensemble.

Kebra has been featured on Performance Today, Young Arts, and NPR’s From The Top, and they have soloed with orchestras including the New World Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Wilmington Symphony, and Sphinx Virtuosi. Other notable performances include those at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Library of Congress.

Kebra has also collaborated with esteemed improvisers and composers such as Jon Batiste, 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Tyshawn Sorey, and jazz musician/composer Jason Moran, as well as new music supergroup Bang On A Can. Originally from Miami, Florida, Kebra received their Bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and Masters degree from the Juilliard School.