About Chala

Chala Yancy enjoys a varied career across genres as a solo artist, collaborator, and chamber musician on both violin and viola. She has toured and performed for audiences throughout the world.

As a studio musician, Chala has appeared on stage with world-renowned performing artists such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, Adele, Marc Anthony, Mos Def, Darlene Love, and Johnny Mathis. Television appearances include Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, Kelly and Michael, Good Morning America and on Broadway with Motown: The Musical, Amazing Grace, and Ain’t Too Proud. She has also performed at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series as well as the DC and Newport Jazz Festivals.

She can be heard on recordings by Alicia Keys, Alicia Hall-Moran, James Carter, as well as on Tania Leon's Inura: For Voices, Strings, and Percussion, Latin Grammy, Grammy nominated. Most recently, Chala performed with Beyoncé in her historic Coachella performances. She was also a part of Beyoncé and Jay Z’s the On the Run II world tour, as well as performing and co arranging on their Grammy award winning album ‘Everything is Love’.

Ms. Yancy is an avid supporter of new music and has premiered solo and chamber music works by many up and coming composers, and served as co-director of the International Street Cannibals and is a member of the Manhattan Camerata and Sandcastle New Music Ensembles. Noted for her dynamic performance style, Chala was a featured artist and storyteller for the debut of Trifecta at the Cannes Lion Festival. In New York, she performs regularly with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Harlem Chamber Players, and Musica da Camara.

Deeply committed to music education, Ms. Yancy splits her time between performing, teaching her private students, and teaching various workshops and violin intensives throughout the country. Chala has given master classes and lectures to students at Miss Porter’s School, Morehouse, Spellman, and Seattle University.

Ms. Yancy holds degrees from New York University, B.M. and the Manhattan School of Music, M.M.