Carrie Rodriguez, a composer, violinist, and singer from Austin, Texas, finds beauty in the cross-pollination of diverse traditions. She melds fiery fiddle playing, electrifying vocals, and a fresh interpretation of new and classic songs with an “Ameri-Chicana” attitude. Carrie began playing the violin at age 5; by age 10, she had performed as part of a group at Carnegie Hall, and she continued on the classical track in her first year at Oberlin Conservatory. She then shifted gears to pursue her love affair with the fiddle—staying true to her Texas roots—at the Berklee College of Music.
As a singer-songwriter, she has released 5 solo studio albums, 3 duet albums with the legendary Chip Taylor (author of “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning”), and 2 live albums. Her last full-length solo recording, the bilingual Lola, was heralded as “the perfect bicultural album” and was included in NPR’s Best Albums of 2016, as well as Rolling Stone’s Best Country Albums of the Year. Carrie has performed on stages across North America and Europe, as well as on programs such as PBS’s Austin City Limits, The Tonight Show, and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts.
In 2017, Carrie founded a highly acclaimed ongoing concert series at the Paramount State Theatre in Austin, Texas, called Laboratorio; a celebration and exploration of Latine culture. Her most recent work has been as a composer and lyricist for an original musical, ¡Americano!, which chronicles the true story of an inspiring DREAMer named Tony Valdovinos. The musical enjoyed a successful 6-week run off-Broadway at New York City’s New World Stages in June 2022, and also earned Rodriguez a nomination for a 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. Carrie lives in Austin with her husband and frequent musical collaborator, Luke Jacobs, and their 9-year-old son, Cruz.