DAWNING
VIOLINIST - EDUCATOR - COMMUNITY BUILDER
Emerging from a life shaped by performance, research, family, and grassroots service initiatives, my work reflects a belief in music’s power to uplift and unite.
Explore the projects and collaborations that bring these values to life—and reach out if something sparks connection.
Dawning is known for her soulful playing, community-rooted projects, and passion for music's power to uplift. Her work spans performance, education, and service—connecting people through sound, story, and shared purpose.
“I believe that music is like a ladder for the soul – uplifting, empowering, transporting.
Music is a powerful voice for communities, and my work is driven by a longing to create spaces where artistic expression becomes a pathway to unity—bridging genres and disciplines, and guided by foundational values that come to life through vibrant expressions of our shared humanity.”
Work in Motion
The Empowered Creatives Project
A grassroots initiative for artistic equity.
Co-founded with a fellow musician, this project expands access to meaningful music education and fosters creative community across diverse populations.
Rediscovering Blair Fairchild
A long-lost composer, a long-term collaboration.
This project explores the legacy of Blair Fairchild and brings his forgotten works back to life through research, performance, and the first-ever recordings of several of his violin compositions.
The Sileo Quartet
Where four friends find one voice.
Project-based and always evolving, Sileo Quartet is a home for adventurous repertoire and sharing the joy of creating music. We choose our stages and audiences with care, performing for communities we love—at home and abroad.
Stories in Sound
Violin Sonata No. 2
Composed by Blair Fairchild
Aleksandra Czernieka, piano
Recorded in Bloomington, Indiana
Hollow Reed
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Sileo Quartet
Recorded in Bloomington, Indiana
String Quartet No. 2
Performed by Chuke Williams
℗ G.O.E. Mode Productions
Recorded in Atlanta, Georgia
As It Was
Song by Harry Styles
Performed by JHM Jams
Recorded in Caroga Lake, New York
“There’s literally nothing more you could ask for out of working with a musician than what you get with Dawning. Her mastery of the violin makes collaboration seamless and she’s as good at improvising as making whatever part you throw her way seem effortless. Equally noteworthy is she is arguably(?) the nicest person you’ll ever meet and, as musicians know, bringing good vibes can make or break the energy of a session. There are plenty of hard decisions in life, whether or not to book Dawning should never be one of them.”
- Chuke Williams
“Dawning’s teaching style, musical sensibility and violin practice ethic is just what I need in this stage of my violin journey! …
Her love for the instrument always shines through, even as she is committed to getting the best out of me. She is fun, understanding, a complete professional, a joy to work with!”
- Susan Jensen Sweeting