Bright Shiny Things Releases 24 American Caprices by Seven-Time Grammy®-Nominated Violinist/Composer Curtis Stewart

BRIGHT SHINY THINGS RELEASES 24 AMERICAN CAPRICES, ORIGINAL WORKS BY SEVEN TIME -GRAMMY®-NOMINATED VIOLINIST/COMPOSER CURTIS STEWART INSPIRED BY SEMINAL RECORDINGS OF AMERICAN MUSIC BY ICONS OF JAZZ, RAP, R&B, AND MORE

“Combining omnivory and brilliance. He is a giant…”
— The New York Times on Curtis Stewart

 “Curtis Stewart has become something of a force in New York City in recent years, not just for his virtuosic musicianship but as a voice for diversity in classical music and recognition of past contributions by Black composers."
 – Bachtrack

NEW YORK, NY–On June 19, 2026, Bright Shiny Things releases 24 American Caprices [2 CDs; BSTC-0243], original compositions by composer and violinist Curtis Stewart paying tribute to seminal recordings by a diverse range of artists who have importantly influenced Stewart’s own American cultural experience. The composer references many Americans – Dolly Parton, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Wayne Shorter, and Aretha Franklin among them – 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. In the spirit of the caprices of virtuoso violinists Niccolò Paganini and Henryk Wienawski, filtered through Stewart’s own trademark ability to seamlessly integrate a kaleidoscope of popular styles into his classical vocabulary, the album pays homage to the history of violin performance and American culture, as well as the event that provided the impetus for Stewart’s solo career: his live performance of a caprice on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” at the 2022 Grammy Awards. 

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. 24 American Caprices is available for pre-order here. 

As Stewart explains about the new album:

“Musical aspects of each inspiration are abstracted and imbued with challenging violin techniques emulating the sounds and styles of their origin. In the full meaning of caprice, these violin fragments dance and sing lightly from inspiration to ornamentation, both with flights of fantasy and fastidious settings of referenced material, creating playful musical dialogue around American lineage and individual perspective in Classical music.”

Stewart’s range of sources for the album reveals a restless imagination, sampling a wide range of the history of recorded music through the lens of his own inimitable style. The track list establishes the multiplicity of styles and sources immediately, moving from an opening caprice inspired by David Bowie’s “Modern Love” to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” As the album continues, Stewart engages with rap artists Kendrick Lamar and Queen Latifah; classic jazz artists like Oscar Peterson, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald; the civil rights anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson; a traditional Greek folk song inspired by Stewart’s mother, Greek jazz violinist Elektra Kurtis; and much more. The caprices were variously commissioned by The Juilliard School Kayden Commissioning Program, the Kaufman Music Center, American Public Media, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and violinist Deborah Buck, who commissioned and performed Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.”

TRACK LIST:

24 American Caprices, by Curtis J. Stewart

i. inspired by David Bowie: Modern Love
ii. inspired by Dolly Parton: 9 to 5
iii. inspired by John Coltrane: Giant Steps
iv. inspired by Bob Dylan: Blowing in the Wind
v. inspired by Earth Wind and Fire: September
vi. inspired by Stevie Wonder: Isn’t She Lovely
vii. inspired by Queen Latifah: U.N.I.T.Y.
viii. inspired by Taylor Swift: Shake it Off
ix. inspired by Oscar Peterson: Hymn to Freedom
x. inspired by Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi
xi. inspired by Kendrick Lamar: Complexion
xii. inspired by Tito Puente / Celia Cruz: Oye Cómo Va
xiii. inspired by Donny Hathaway: This Christmas
xiv. inspired by James Weldon Johnson: Lift Every Voice and Sing
xv. inspired by Sister Rosetta Tharpe: This Train
xvi. inspired by Elektra Kurtis / Greek Traditional: Thalassaki Mou
xvii. inspired by Billy Strayhorn: Take the A Train
xviii. inspired by Daniel Butterfeild: Taps
xix. inspired by John Newton: Amazing Grace
xx. inspired by Nina Simone: Young Gifted and Black
xxi. inspired by Janet Jackson: Doesn't Really Matter
xxii. inspired by Duke Ellington / Ella Fitzgerald: Mood Indigo
xxiii. inspired by Wayne Shorter: Infant Eyes
xxiv. inspired by Aretha Franklin: Rock Steady

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Praised for “combining omnivory and brilliance” (The New York Times), seven-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart translates stories of American self-determination to the concert stage. As a solo violinist, composer, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, professor at The Juilliard School, member of award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail, and Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, he realizes a vision to find personal and powerful connections between styles, cultures, and musics. Learn more at www.curtisjstewart.com. 

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