Lady Jess

Lady Jess is a soloing member of Beyoncé’s band. Jess toured with the superstar and her husband, Jay-Z (together “The Carters”) in 2018 for their On The Run II tour; recorded and arranged with The Carters for their Grammy-nominated album, Everything Is Love, in 2019; and appeared in the Emmy-nominated Netflix concert film/documentary, Homecoming. She is a 2020 winner of the UNCSA Artpreneur of the Year award, 2020 Sphinx MPower grant recipient, and 2021–2022 fellow at The Hermitage Artist Retreat, where she debuted her suite for solo violin and electronics, Ophelia. She has been a guest speaker and panelist for the League of American Orchestras, Gateways Music Festival, Sphinx Organization, University of NC School of the Arts, Apollo Theater, and others. Jess is also artistic director of the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra.

A frequent session musician, Lady Jess was concertmaster and contractor for the Oscar-nominated film Judas and The Black Messiah. She can also be heard on the soundtracks of The Lion King, Da 5 Bloods, Space Jam, Creed, and more. In New York, she performs with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, American Composers Orchestra, and New York Pops. In 2021, she toured with the Sphinx Virtuosi. In 2023, she made her solo debut at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival with the Chelsea Symphony.

Her artist collaborations include: Stevie Wonder, Chloe X Halle, Black Coffee, Will Liverman, Black Thought, Solange, Max Richter, Carrie Mae Weems, Terrence Blanchard, Alicia Keys, et al. Lady Jess released a premiere recording of music by Florence Price on the Naxos label with pianist Ric’key Pageot in 2021.

IG: @ladyjessmusic
LadyJessMusic.com
Upchamberorchestra.org

Photo by Zach Hyman Photography