Michelle Wade Jones

Michelle Jones is a GRAMMY® Recording Artist and Producer, composer/arranger, and versatile instrumentalist who performs every style from the most challenging classical music to the heaviest metal and rock music. She plays a variety of violins and violas to achieve these styles, and performs regularly on some of the world's greatest stages, currently touring with Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton and recording with Jon Anderson of YES. She also performs regularly at Hard Rock Live venues throughout the world. Michelle recently performed a sold-out tour of five cities in Japan as a solo artist in May of 2017, and is a regular celebrity performing guest at Comic-Cons and other conventions nationwide. Michelle is the President and Band Leader of Violectric, Inc., a string ensemble with live percussion that plays exclusive arrangements of classic and modern rock music on acoustic-electric instruments. Violectric performs compositions from AC/DC to Metallica to Led Zeppelin, and has appeared, recorded and toured around the world with most every major name act in the business from opera to heavy metal. Violectric is an Official SiriusXM Radio Artist (their music is programmed and heard every day), an iHeart Radio Artist, and is with Viacom networks. They have opened for acts including John Legend, Josh Groban, SIA, Twenty-One Pilots, Sting, Adam Levine, David Foster, Huey Lewis and the News, Kristin Chenoweth, Katharine McPhee, Kool and the Gang, and Rascal Flatts. Violectric has also been selected as the first Artists in Residence for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, including live concerts and educational workshops with the Dr. Phillips Center Advent Health School of Art and Wellness. Michelle is also a composer, and has scored and recorded music for several short films and full-length documentary films and television and radio commercials that have aired nationally and internationally. Most recently, she worked with acclaimed film producer Robin Cowie (The Blair Witch Project and others) to compose and record the music with her band Violectric for Sea World Parks' and Busch Gardens' "Howl-O-Scream" event held nationally at several locations. The multiple compositions were included in all of the theme parks, advertisements, and short films related to the event. As a recording artist, Michelle has composed and/or recorded on many albums, soundtracks for television and films, advertisements, and video games internationally. Michelle has performed professionally with numerous artists and symphony orchestras, including the world-renowned Mantovani Orchestra. As Principal Violin with the Mantovani Orchestra, she has performed multiple tours of Asia to sold-out audiences in prestigious venues, including The People's Hall of Congress in Beijing, China. She is a featured rock violin soloist who performs regularly with orchestras, including Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Encore Performing Arts, and Florida Pops Orchestra. She is currently Concertmaster of the Florida Pops Orchestra and Encore Pops Orchestra, and Section Violin and Viola with the Walt Disney World Orchestra. She also has served as either Concertmaster or Associate Concertmaster, or section violin/viola with several other touring Broadway musical productions over the past fifteen years. Michelle was Concertmaster of Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe Orchestra from 2000-2010. She is also currently a solo violinist and ensemble leader for Disney's Fairytale Weddings and Honeymoons. Her style is not limited to classical as she also arranges and performs violin, viola, 5-string, vocals, percussion and keyboard with the international touring group Classic Albums Live based in Toronto, Ontario. With Classic Albums Live, Michelle has performed in Toronto's world-famous Massey Hall. She is versatile with genres from classic rock to pop, from punk to heavy metal. Music includes albums by artists: The Beatles, The Eagles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and others. Michelle continues to perform and tour internationally with artists, and has performed shows with Mannheim Steamroller, Page and Plant (Led Zeppelin), Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Josh Groban, Fernando Varela, Michael Bolton, Peter Cetera and Chicago, Dennis DeYoung and Styx, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds, Beyonce and Destiny's Child, Anne Murray, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Brightman, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, and many others. Through Violectric, Michelle created and established an Educational Programs Series with interactive workshops and live concerts with students, and has performed multiple concerts at the Shekou International School in Shekou, China, BETA Center in Orlando, Florida, Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee, Florida, Orange County Public Schools in Florida, and Rollins College and Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Michelle is also an active member of the Music Teachers' National Association and voting member of The Recording Academy. Violectric Educational Programs have been featured on local and national television broadcasts (including PBS), and the members have been recognized for their philanthropy and commitment to education. Michelle was awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award by the White House and Presidents Obama and Trump in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 (Bronze and Gold Awards) for her many hours of volunteerism in the Central Florida Community and beyond. As an active member of the American Federation of Musicians, Michelle has served as an international delegate and on the International Diversity Committee, Youth Diversity Committee (chair), International Musician Committee and the Good and Welfare Committee. She is also an active member of the Central Florida Musicians' Association where she has served on the Recording Committee, Diversity Committee and Executive Board. A graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, Michelle majored in business management and music.