Christian Hebel
Christian Hebel (born December 29, 1975) is an American violinist, producer, songwriter and concertmaster. He has appeared on multi-Platinum, Gold, Emmy Award, Academy Awards, Tony Award, and Grammy Award winning recordings as well as film scores and Broadway theatre.
Christian Hebel | |
|---|---|
 Christian Hebel performing live with Josh Groban, November 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 29, 1975 Plymouth, Michigan, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, Bluegrass, Broadway, Indie Rock, Indie Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist, Concertmaster, Songwriter, Composer, Arranger, Producer |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Associated acts | Kelly Clarkson, Jay-Z, Josh Groban, Barbra Streisand, George Benson, Rufus Wainwright |
| Website | www |
An accomplished live and recorded musician, Christian is also Artistic Director for the National YoungArts Foundation.
Career
The Last Play at Shea with Billy Joel
In 2008 Hebel joined Billy Joel on his summer tour, culminating with two shows that were the final concerts at Shea Stadium before its demolition. The concerts were on July 16, 2008, and July 18, 2008 with guest performers including Tony Bennett, Don Henley, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, Garth Brooks, and Paul McCartney. The concerts were featured in the 2010 documentary film The Last Play at Shea. The film was released on DVD on February 8, 2011. The CD and DVD of the show, Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert were released on March 8, 2011.[1]
Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall with Rufus Wainwright
Hebel worked with Rufus Wainwright in 2006 serving as Concertmaster for his sold-out tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall to American actress and singer Judy Garland, titled Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. The live concert recording was released as a two disc set through Geffen Records in December 2007 and earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[2][3]
With Barbra Streisand
In 2006 Hebel joined Barbra Streisand for her concert tour Streisand: The Tour which began on October 4, 2006 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and concluded at Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 20, 2006. On April 25, 2009, CBS aired Streisand's latest television special, Streisand: Live in Concert, highlighting the featured stop from the 2006 North American tour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A selection of concerts was then released commercially.[4][5]
In the summer of 2007, Hebel joined Streisand on her Barbra Live tour where she gave concerts for the first time in continental Europe. On October 11, 2012, he participated in Streisand's concert tour in front of 18,000 fans as part of the Hebel joined Streisand for a three-hour concert performance before a crowd of 18,000 in Barclays Center in Brooklyn (Streisand's first concert in her home borough). This included tributes to Donna Summer and Marvin Hamlisch.
Hebel performed on Streisand's September 2014 release of Partners, an album of duets that features collaborations with Elvis Presley, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Babyface, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, John Mayer, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Jason Gould.
Hebel was also in the studio recording with Streisand in May 2016 on her album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, released in August of that year.
Hebel became Streisand's solo violinist in 2016 and joined her on her North American tour Barbra: The Music, The Mem'ries, The Magic. The tour initially visited nine locations in North America, then was extended to include four additional stops, for a total of 14 shows in 13 cities. Hebel is featured in a Netflix special that was filmed on tour.[6][7]
American Music Awards- Rihanna & Ne-Yo
Hebel performed with Rihanna and Ne-Yo on the 2007 American Music Awards on November 18, 2007. They performed Rihanna's hit songs "Umbrella" and "Hate That I Love You" which were each nominated that night.[8][9]
With Josh Groban
Josh Groban chose Hebel as his solo violinist in 2011 for the Straight to You Tour to promote his recent album Illuminations. Beginning May 12, 2011 and continuing through December of that year, they undertook an 81-city tour encompassing appearances in North America, Europe and South Africa.
Hebel appeared on Groban's next studio album, All That Echoes, released on February 5, 2013. Hebel joined Groban to promote the album with the All That Echoes World Tour in 2013 performing in North America, Europe and Australia. In 2014, Hebel joined Groban's Summer Symphony Tour where Hebel soloed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony and Boston Pops among others.[10][11]
Bruce Springsteen – Grammy Awards
On February 12, 2012, Hebel performed on stage with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band to open the 54th Annual Grammy Awards live from Los Angeles, California on CBS.[12]
George Benson
In 2015 Hebel began as Concertmaster and violin soloist with George Benson joining Benson on tour at venues and jazz festivals throughout Europe.[13]
National YoungArts Foundation
Hebel began working with the National YoungArts Foundation in 2014 as an Artistic Director and Master Artist where he has directed performances at Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York Live Arts and will be directing an upcoming performance at The Kennedy Center. The National YoungArts Foundation identifies and nurtures the most accomplished young artists from across the United States ages 15–18 in the visual, literary, design and performing arts and is the sole nominator for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.[14][15][16][17]
Broadway
Next to Normal
In 2005 Hebel originated and helped create the violin part in Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's American rock musical Next to Normal. The show had a record breaking run on Broadway around the world, won 3 Tony Awards in 2009, and the Pulitzer Prize in 2010.[18][19]
Speaking of Hebel, Kitt describes "Christian provided the depth and virtuosity that I needed and helped me define what for me, would become one of the most important elements in the music".[20]
American Idiot
In 2009 Hebel originated and helped create the violin role in Green Day's punk rock Broadway show American Idiot. The show went on to win 2 Tony Awards and won the Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Musical Show Album.[21][22]
Wicked
Hebel originated and helped create the role of Concertmaster for the hit Broadway show Wicked in 2003. Hebel held the role of Concertmaster for over 12 years on Broadway where they won 3 Tony Awards and received a Grammy Award.[23] On July 12, 2018, with its 6,138th performance, it surpassed A Chorus Line to become Broadway's sixth-longest running show.[24] In March 2016, Wicked surpassed $1 billion in total Broadway revenue, joining both The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King as the only Broadway shows to do so. In July 2017, Wicked surpassed The Phantom of the Opera as Broadway's second-highest grossing show, trailing only The Lion King.[25]
The Light in the Piazza
Hebel originated and helped create the violin and concertmaster role in Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel's 2005 Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza. Hebel began work on the show in 2002 in New York City and performed in productions in Seattle in 2003 and on Broadway in 2005. The show was awarded 6 Tony Awards in 2005.[26]
Sondheim On Sondheim
Hebel originated and helped create the violin part for Stephen Sondheim's Broadway show Sondheim On Sondheim in 2010 starring Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams. The musical features interviews with Sondheim. The songs, including well-known, less-known and cut material, were from nineteen Sondheim shows (including student shows) produced over a 62-year period, including several songs from each of West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, Passion, and Into the Woods. Songs from his school years are included.[27][28]
Spring Awakening
Hebel was the Music Coordinator for the 2015 Broadway production of Duncan Sheik's Grammy Award and Tony Award winning rock musical Spring Awakening.[29]
Discography
Hebel has achieved commercial success with both pop and classical albums.[30][31][32][33][34]
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Forgotten Conquest | Thom Jayne |
| 2002 | Wheel of Life | Stewart Francke |
| 2003 | Songs of Jason Robert Brown | Lauren Kennedy |
| 2005 | Tom Rogerson | Tom Rogerson |
| 2005 | At The Corner Of Broadway And Soul | Billy Porter |
| 2005 | Wearing Someone Else's Clothes | Jason Robert Brown |
| 2006 | Kingdom Come | Jay-Z |
| 2006 | I'm Not Waiting | Julia Murney |
| 2007 | Here And Now | Lauren Kennedy |
| 2008 | When The Wind Blows South | Philip Chaffin |
| 2008 | Jason Danieley & The Frontier Heroes | Jason Danieley |
| 2008 | Fifteen Seconds of Grace | Victoria Clark |
| 2009 | Greenwich Time | Rebecca Luker |
| 2009 | Crazy Love | Michael Bublé |
| 2009 | Passage Of Time | Liz Callaway |
| 2011 | My Lifelong Love | Georgia Stitt |
| 2011 | Songs of Innocence and Experience | Lisa Howard |
| 2011 | What Matters Most | Barbra Streisand |
| 2012 | Another Kind Of Light | Raissa Katona Bennett |
| 2012 | Music From The Movies | Katherine Jenkins |
| 2012 | Songs from the Silver Screen | Jackie Evancho |
| 2013 | To Be Loved | Michael Bublé |
| 2013 | All That Echoes | Josh Groban |
| 2013 | Back to Brooklyn | Barbra Streisand |
| 2014 | Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics | Aretha Franklin |
| 2014 | Partners | Barbra Streisand |
| 2015 | Piece By Piece | Kelly Clarkson |
| 2015 | Brazilian Nights | Kenny G |
| 2016 | Nobody But Me | Michael Bublé |
Live Albums
| Year | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Live In Concert 2006 | Barbra Streisand |
| 2007 | Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall | Rufus Wainwright |
| 2011 | Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert | Billy Joel |
| 2017 | Barbra: The Music, The Mem'ries, The Magic | Barbra Streisand |
Film Soundtracks and Broadway
Personal life
Hebel married actress Rachael Harris on April 30, 2015 and they lived and worked in Los Angeles, California and New York City with their two sons Henry (born 2016) and Otto (born 2018).[35] On August 22, 2019, it was revealed that Harris filed for divorce from Hebel.[36][37]
References
- HOLDEN, STEPHEN. "Brenda, Eddie, Billy and Friends Bury a Ballpark". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards". USA Today. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- Holden, Stephen. "Rufus Wainwright Pays Tribute to Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- Bronson, Fred. "Chart Beat Chat". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Barbra Streisand Live in Concert 2006". All Music. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "BARBRA STREISAND – THE MUSIC... THE MEM'RIES... THE MAGIC... TOUR". THE CANADIAN MUSIC SCENE. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- Aparicio, Iride. "BARBRA STREISAND'S MEMORIES Cast a spell in San Jose". Culteral World. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- "American Music Awards – Winners List". CBS News. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "2007 American Music Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Josh Groban Announces 2011 "Straight To You" World Tour". Market Wired. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Josh Groban announces orchestral summer tour, show with NC Symphony". Triangle Music. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "The 54th Annual Grammy Awards (2012)". IMDB. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Christian Hebel joins George Benson Tour 2015". Christian Hebel Official Site. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- "SELECT MASTER ARTISTS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC". National YoungArts Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "YoungArts@BAC". Baryshnikov Arts Center. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "National YoungArts Foundation's YoungArts New York". Brokelyn. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- "Photo Flash: Inside YoungArts' Inaugural New York Gala". Broadway World. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Next to Normal". Lortel Archives. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "2010 Pulitzer Prizes". The Pulitzer Prizes. Columbia University. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Tom, Kitt. "In their words..." Christian Hebel. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "Green Day Rocks Tony Awards, 'American Idiot' Wins Two". Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "American Idiot Wins Best Musical Show Album". Grammy Awards. 2011-02-15. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "WINNER OF OVER 100 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AWARDS". Wicked. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Gans, Andrew (2018-07-12). "Wicked Becomes 6th Longest-Running Show in Broadway History July 12". Playbill. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- McPhee, Ryan (2017-07-11). "Wicked Surpasses The Phantom of the Opera as Second-Highest-Grossing Show in Broadway History". Playbill. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Staff, Playbill (2006-06-12). "Just the Facts: List of 2006 Tony Award Winners and Nominees". Playbill. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Jones, Kenneth (2010-03-19). "Sondheim on Sondheim, a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- Gans, Andrew (2010-03-19). "DIVA TALK: Celebrating Sondheim with Sondheim on Sondheim Star Barbara Cook". Playbill. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "Christian Hebel Musical Coordinator, Musical Contractor, Musical Staff, Musician". IBDB. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "Christian Hebel". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- "Christian Hebel". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- "Christian Hebel". ArtistDirect. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- "Christian Hebel". IBDB. The Broadway League. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- "Christian Hebel". IMDB. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- CORRISTON, MICHELE. "Rachael Harris Marries Christian Hebel – See the Photos". People Celebrity. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- Corinthios, Aurelie (August 22, 2019). "Lucifer's Rachael Harris Files for Divorce from Christian Hebel After 4 Years of Marriage". People. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- Calvario, Liz (August 22, 2019). "'Lucifer' Star Rachael Harris and Husband Christian Hebel Divorcing After 4 Years of Marriage". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
External links
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