"Strings on Fire: Rocking Out with Nina DiGregorio and Her Electric Violin"

The Trout Show

Nina DiGregorio, a Yamaha string artist, is a classically trained violinist, bass player, writer/arranger, vocalist, and pianist, but is most well known for being a pioneer of the electric rock violin, as well as a music business mogul and entrepreneur. She has performed as a soloist and string arranger with the some of the biggest names in the business. She arranged and performed strings with The Killers for President Obama and on one of their recent albums.

Television credits include the Latin Grammys with Shakira, being featured on the Beyonce “I am…Yours” DVD and both “David Foster and Friends” DVDs and PBS specials, alongside Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Boz Scaggs, and Peter Cetera among others, as well as the featured soloist with Charice. Other television credits include a performance with Andrea Bocelli for the DVD and PBS special “Amore Under the Desert Sky,” The Muhammad Ali 70th Birthday Celebration, “Michel Legrand and Friends,” “Bell’aria PBS special,” and America’s Got Talent Season One with Bella Electric Strings, of which she is founder, writer, and lead violinist.

She was the solo violinist in Toni Braxton’s band for 2 years. Nina was also featured in a recent Blues Traveler performance, dueling with harmonica virtuoso John Popper on The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Other performance credits include Stevie Wonder, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Wayne Newton, Cee-lo Green, John Legend, Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Donna Summer, Mary J Blige and Jay Z, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Marco Antonio Solis, and many more.

As a writer/arranger, her work has been heard in shows such as “Toni Braxton Revealed,” “Beyonce I Am….Yours,” The Fab; Beatle’s Tribute Band, The Las Vegas Tenors, The Killers, The Yellow Brick Road Symphonic Rock Show, as well as on many studio recordings.

Nina’s work with her project Bella Electric Strings can best be described as, “imagine if Hendrix played a violin.” Utilizing full effects pedals and blistering solos, she brings to life many famous rock tunes for electric string ensemble. On top of opening for Michael McDonald and Charlie Daniels, Bella recently performed as the featured string quartet with Richard Marx in his Las Vegas show. Richard also hired twenty Bella girls to be featured on camera performing with himself, Kenny Loggins, and Eric Benet for a DirecTV special that aired over the summer of 2016. Bella Strings has also had the privilege of being affiliated with the prestigious “Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp,” performing alongside such artists as Kip Winger and Todd Rundgren at the facility. The group keeps a busy corporate schedule, as well as traveling for Yamaha String Educator Development Seminars, in which Nina’s arrangements are featured around the country to demonstrate the Yamaha Silent and Electric violins.

Nina created/produced a rock production show called “FEMMES OF ROCK starring Bella Electric Strings,” which has been selling out theaters nation wide. Other creations include Bella Bottoms; a disco string show, an LED Laser string show, Trifecta; a vocal string show, Jingle Bellas; a holiday string show, among others.

Nina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance. She also holds a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She was a recent recipient of the coveted Distinguished Alumni award from the University at Buffalo; one of the youngest to receive the award.

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