By Olivia De Santis

A celebration of motorsports, Michelin-starred food, and award-winning wines in the heart of the valley.

The Napa Event debuted at the end of October, bringing together world-class cars, Michelin-starred food, and award-winning wines for an unforgettable weekend. Inspired by The Palm Event, the Napa Valley Car Club hosted its inaugural celebration, transporting the history and glamour of the Mar-a-Lago gathering to the West Coast.

By Krista Minard

On a stormy Tuesday winter night, the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria filled with people who braved rain and wind to attend the inaugural performance of the Sacramento Public Library’s music series. In the hall, the Bay Area-based UBG Strings quartet played a set of about 15 pieces in a concert titled “Bach To Beyoncé.”

By Lisa Plachy

Three musician moms in the East Bay show us how it’s done—through pregnancy and beyond…

Shaina Evoniuk describes breastfeeding as a “full-time job.” That’s no small statement coming from someone who lists, among her many titles, acoustic, electric and LED violinist; string arranger; contractor; producer; and aerial violinist—some of which she returned to just a few months after giving birth to her daughter, Nova. While Evoniuk gave herself space to consider whether she should continue her lifelong pursuit of music, it didn’t take long for her plans to change.

Alright - so today we've got the honor of introducing you to Shaina Evoniuk. We think you'll enjoy our conversation, we've shared it below. Shaina, so good to have you with us today. We've always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose? I made one of the best decisions of my life when I was four years old. That is when I told my parents that I wanted to play the violin.

Shaina Evoniuk is a classically trained violinist who leads the string section for the Bay Area-based musical collective Jazz Mafia. She has also has lent her talents to some of the biggest pop stars in the world. Hear Shaina share with Pam what it's really like being a recording artist, and how the violin adds texture and emotion to all styles of music, as demonstrated in five different tunes she performs on.

Do you have one single focus or do you have some many interests you find it challenging to choose what to concentrate on? How can you be a jack of all trades and still excel in your chosen disciplines? Ask multidisciplinary artist Shaina Evoniuk! As an aerial violinist, gymnast, yoga teacher, arranger and composer she will show you how she does it! 

By Andrew Gilbert

The first thing to know about Cosa Nostra Strings isn’t that the group evolved out of the Jazz Mafia. The quintet does share a good deal of creative DNA with the ever-morphing Oakland collective that’s bootstrapped its stylistically omnivorous aesthetic into a booming cottage industry, collaborating with everyone from racy cabaret productions and soul belters to symphony orchestras and socially conscious hip-hop MCs.

By Andrew Gilbert

The Bay Area is no stranger to audacious endeavors that fly in the face of common sense. But even in a region where an idea can take flight and transform an entire segment of the economy, trombonist, bassist, arranger, composer, and Jazz Mafia collective founder Adam Theis had little reason to hope that an ambitious jazz/classical/hip-hop mashup would have wings.

By Andrew Gilbert

Raiding the refrigerator at 1 a.m. after getting home late from a gig last December, Oakland violinist Shaina Evoniuk remembered to take a look at the newly released Grammy Award nominations. She probably should have waited until she finished eating. “I almost choked when I saw we were nominated twice,” she says, the “we” in question including R&B vocalist Leon Bridges, who earned nominations for his album “Coming Home” and the song “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand,” which ended up winning the Grammy for best traditional R&B performance.

Hosted by Lewis Patzner

On the 1st episode of "The Crossover Cellist," I interview local crossover violinist, Shaina Evoniuk. we talk about our project, Cosa Nostra Strings, and our upcoming show at the Kaiser Rooftop Series August 17th at noon. We also learn a little about Shaina's musical path, and hear a track from her album, "Hitwoman Honey."

By Andrew Gilbert

We talk to violinist Shaina Evoniuk who plays the California Jazz Conservatory Wednesday; also next week: fingerstyle guitar wizard Duck Baker performs at the Freight Tuesday.

Feeling a little lost after graduating from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2008, violinist Shaina Evoniuk only knew that she wasn’t interested in the usual path paved by chamber music gigs and symphonic concerts. “I was considering moving to New York or traveling to Europe,” she recalls. “I hadn’t found my musical compadres, and I didn’t know what my musical voice was. I was a recovering classical musician.”

In this episode we dive into the creative worlds of female DJ Amy Robbins, DJ and model Shai’la Yvonne, and aerial violinist Shaina Evoniuk.