In the spirit of the caprices of virtuoso violinists Niccolò Paganini and Henryk Wienawski, filtered through Curtis Stewart’s own trademark ability to seamlessly integrate a kaleidoscope of popular styles into his classical vocabulary, 24 American Caprices pays homage to the history of solo violin performance and American culture. A seven-time Grammy Award-nominated violinist and composer, Stewart references a diverse range of American artists who have importantly influenced his own American cultural experience: Dolly Parton, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Wayne Shorter, and Aretha Franklin, along with some “honorary” artists who made their homes in the U.S. and those from the broader Americas, like David Bowie, Tito Puente/Celia Cruz, Joni Mitchell, and Oscar Peterson. Stewart performs 12 of the works himself, with guest violinists Tai Murray, Deborah Buck, Melissa White, Njioma Grevious, Rubén Rengel performing five others. The remaining seven caprices are performed by students taught and mentored by Curtis Stewart from The Juilliard School, the Special Music School in NYC, and the Perlman Music Program.