Paris Nicole Strother is a pianist, producer, songwriter, and arranger whose broad range of musical taste has afforded her the opportunity to perform and record a variety of styles of music worldwide.

By the age of 13, Paris was playing professionally around Minneapolis for such events as mayoral inaugurations and fundraisers, and soon graduated to playing the most renowned jazz clubs in the Twin Cities. By the time she finished high school, Paris had already performed with some of the best musicians in the Minneapolis area. She then took the most practical step towards turning her passion into a career; she accepted a scholarship from the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Her musical talent has afforded her with the opportunity to perform across the nation as well as around the world- she has been featured on tours with many outstanding artists in Holland, Russia, Cuba and Greece. Her growing list of studio credits includes sessions for artists Jill Scott, Hidden Beach Record’s UNWRAPPED Series Vol. 7, Pacific Division, Phoebe Snow, Linda Ronstadt, George Massenburg, Gretchen Parlato, and DJ Khalil. Among others, Paris has shared the stage with recording artists Philip Bailey (Earth Wind and Fire), Steve Winwood, Mint Condition, Debbie Duncan, Donnie, and Choklate; with her band she has opened for Mavis Staples, Diane Reeves, Barbara Morrison, Dwele, and Raheem DeVaughn, and most recently was hired to perform at Patti LaBelle’s 66th birthday party where she had the honor of accompanying Patti, Stevie Wonder, and Lalah Hathaway. She has been featured as a guest pianist with the Melrose and Cape Ann Symphony Orchestras, and as a featured performer for the Inauguration of Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, as well as the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s National Convention.

Paris’ talent has garnered her much attention and many awards, including an institutional endowment from Berklee College of Music, the Duke Ellington Foundation Legacy Award, the Edward Bazinet Foundation Village Scholars Program Scholarship for the Arts, the Mary Minell Scholarship for Education, The Minneapolis Urban League Scholarship, The Minneapolis/St. Paul Links Scholarship for Academic Achievement, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority African American Achievement Scholarship, and the DeLaSalle Alumni Scholarship. In the Spring of 2005, she was awarded with the honor of becoming the first female finalist in the auditions for the Dave Brubeck Institution Fellowship program. She has been featured in a number of media articles, including writings in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, and The Jazz Police Online Jazz Review.

In May of 2008 Paris graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Writing and Production from Berklee, and continued her education by working in production and development for the historic Monterey Jazz Festival. Paris serves as the Special Programs Coordinator for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles where she mentors young students in the Los Angeles Unified School District and teaches the fundamentals of jazz and hip-hop music. Paris has developed into a “noteworthy talent”. Keep an eye on her!