Brenda K of San Diego, California
followed the traditional career path of a classical violinist, beginning
private musical studies at the age of six and obtaining a Bachelor of
Music degree from San Diego State University where she won a Kiwanis scholarship her freshman year, performing recitals,
weddings, musical theatre and on other musicians’ recordings, hopefully
edging toward a permanent seat in a symphony orchestra. When nothing
sustainable materialized, she took a brief hiatus from music where she
met multi-instrumentalist and composer Chi
Saito in Tokyo and the two
began a long-term collaboration.
Her classical background was greatly
enriched by her experiences performing with various ensembles working in
different styles of music such as country, jazz, Celtic, pop, rock, and
World, for
which her improvisation skills that had been recognized during her
youth by the receipt of several Music Teachers’ Association awards came
in handy. Her recording credits include work on independent recordings
with members of Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Three Dog Night,
the Doobie Brothers, and many others.
She is currently based
in Los Angeles, California, and is concentrating on recording and
performing with her own all-original cross-genre ensemble, The Panache
Orchestra, which she co-founded with Chi Saito in Tokyo, Japan in early
1999. The Panache Orchestra is presently engaged in collaborative
efforts with San Diego Zydeco/Blues band, the Bayou Brothers , featuring
San Diego blues luminary Charles Burton, and KanVas, a Los Angeles-based
tribute to the progressive rock band Kansas.
