Critically Acclaimed Violinist Pivoted From Classical Music To Partnering With Top Billboard Artists

Critically acclaimed violinist and composer Rebecca Cherry is making classical music electrifying again. From playing in orchestras worldwide to sharing the stage with pop artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Adele and the Jonas Brothers, she’s showing young musicians that there’s no one way to succeed in the industry. She’s even won a Clio Award for her groundbreaking performances and writing in television and film. 

“There are a lot of ups and downs as an artist in terms of the past to what we see as success,” Cherry states. “Success looks different for every person. I always remind people what things may look like, especially now on the outside, are not necessarily what people are dealing with behind in their apartments, homes or daily life. That the experience can be very isolating as a creative because we don’t have an office to go to. A lot of time, we’re the only ones that are creating our work; the opportunities come from us a lot of the time. So we don’t have the same type of daily experiences that people have going to a job and having this community that you show up in and work inside every day. I’m learning to create that for myself, in terms of becoming a businesswoman in the music world.” 

Cherry started playing at three years old. Around the age of eight in a Vancouver conservatory, her parents talked with her about her plans for the future as a musician. They expressed that this was more than a hobby; playing the violin would have to be something she seriously focused on besides her school work. Since she enjoyed playing, she decided to keep practicing at that time. Her parents invested in the top teachers for Cherry as well as supported her playing competitions. 

At 12 years old, Cherry turned professional. She’d go to school in the morning and then in the afternoons if she wasn’t practicing, she’d be performing. Her ability to improvise and harmonize became a catalyst to touring with billboard artists. Moreover, it enabled her to compose in a new way that most classical musicians don’t. She eventually moved to Europe, playing in and conducting orchestras and performing solo. While overseas, she began recording with different indie bands, which presented beneficial networking opportunities. However, her work visa expired, and she had to return to New York. 

“At that moment, after all the hard work and everything I had put into developing my career to a certain point, I just closed the door [on classical music],” Cherry expressed. “It was like a breakup. I was heartbroken about what happened.” 

For two decades, her identity had been defined as being a violinist. Although she recognized and acknowledged she was producing great work, it was always in the vein that the better she became, the more accolades she’d receive, which would make her happier. That wasn’t the case, though. So she decided to take this time to discover who she was without the violin. She feared that if she didn’t, she would completely stop playing. 

“That was the pivot,” Cherry states. “It was extremely hard to explain this to my mentor, my parents, and all the people around me, who on the outside saw this young adult who had created a pretty great career at a very young age and was up to big things. I could have kept going with my plan to be a concertmaster of a large orchestra. I could have kept doing that. I don’t know what would have happened because that’s not what I did. I just knew that I was really unhappy. I had to deal with that. It was not an easy journey. It took about ten years for me to get to a place where I could say I found myself and became okay with where I am now, which is part of the story.”

During this period was when her networking overseas paid off. While back in New York City, top musicians reached out to her asking her to play for them. Additionally, she’s performed on television shows including SNL, David Letterman, BET Awards and Jimmy Fallon. 

“I started doing this other type of music,” she smiles. “Now, of course, my classical background was always there, in my playing and the quality. I started working on installations, looking at how I could bring art and music together—looking at amplified sound and creating new sounds with my instruments. I got very interested in the popular music scene at the same time.”

Over the years, Cherry’s taught music intermittently. While continuing to play the violin in different mediums and collaborate with other artists, she’s working on her own music and has even hired Carmen Pucci as her business branding strategist. 

Throughout all her pivots, she focused on the following essential steps:

• Don’t overthink your next step, just go for it. You may psych yourself out of doing what you want to do.
• Build your personal board of directors who will support you and cheer you on. Additionally, you need people who will say your name in a room of opportunities.
• Have the courage to believe in yourself and go after what you want. In the end, it’s up to you; it’s the choices you’ve made or didn’t make that will determine your career.

“I was really enjoying all of that; those moments, especially working with these incredible artists, was amazing,” Cherry concludes. “I found something in music that inspired me. I started to explore what that really looked like, and it took me to have to let go of everything that I thought I knew about being a musician and start from the beginning.”