Esperanza Spalding first appeared as a professional musician at age five, performing as a violinist with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. Raised in Portland, she navigated early health challenges by teaching herself multiple instruments before securing a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where she eventually transitioned from student to an instructor at age 20.
Early Development and Technical Foundation
Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, Spalding grew up in the King neighborhood. She demonstrated an early aptitude for music, reproducing compositions by ear on the family piano. While attending The Northwest Academy, she shifted her focus to the double bass. Her teenage years involved performing in local blues clubs and singing for the band Noise for Pretend. After completing her GED, she attended Portland State University before transferring to the Berklee College of Music.
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Spalding released her debut album, Junjo, in 2006. Her trajectory accelerated with her 2008 self-titled album and the 2010 release Chamber Music Society, which reached number 34 on the Billboard 200. This success led to her 2011 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Subsequent projects, including Radio Music Society, Emily's D+Evolution, and 12 Little Spells, further defined her profile as a composer and recording artist, earning additional Grammy Awards in 2020.
Academic Appointments
Beyond her performance work, Spalding integrated education into her professional life. She served as an instructor at the Berklee College of Music from 2005 to 2008. In 2017, she took an appointment as a professor of the practice of music at Harvard University, holding the position until 2022. Her contributions to the field were recognized in 2018 when she received an honorary doctorate from Berklee.
Fast facts
- Born: 1984, Portland, United States
- Primary Instrument: Double-bass
- Education: Berklee College of Music
- Grammy Award for Best New Artist: 2011
- Harvard University appointment: 2017
- Honorary Doctorate: Berklee College of Music, 2018
Questions readers ask
What instruments does Esperanza Spalding play?
She is a double-bassist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist who taught herself violin, guitar, oboe, and clarinet during her childhood.
Did she teach at Harvard University?
Yes, she served as a professor of the practice of music at Harvard from 2017 until she resigned in 2022.
Achievements
- Grammy Award for Best New Artist — 2011
- Grammy Awards — 2020
- Affiliated with Berklee College of Music and Harvard University
- Educated at Berklee College of Music
- Worked as music educator, jazz musician and singer
