Annie Moses Band
Annie Moses Band is a classical-crossover ensemble of six siblings, known for their virtuosic string playing, eclectic vocals and stylistically diverse arrangements. Their music includes classical, Americana, progressive folk, and jazz influences.
History
Named for their great grandmother, Annie Moses Band began in 2001 with lead singer/violinist, Annie Wolaver Dupre, and her siblings, Alex and Benjamin. Juilliard-educated, the trio united with a rhythm section led by their father, award-winning composer/arranger/pianist Bill Wolaver, and began touring the United States, performing a 33 concert run in their second year. Over the last fifteen years, the group has recorded 15 albums, 5 live DVDs, and performed in hundreds of venues across the United States, in Europe, and Asia. The band has expanded to include the other members of the Wolaver family: Camille, Gretchen, and Jeremiah.2008 - 2013
The Annie Moses Band signed with Provident Sony in 2008 and subsequently released This Glorious Christmas, which hit the Top Ten on Billboard Magazine's Classical Crossover chart. The following year, the band released a PBS special, Christmas With The Annie Moses Band which garnered over 1,200 hours of airtime, setting the record for a debut artist. In 2012, Annie Moses Band made their debut at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. Their album, Pilgrims & Prodigals, ranked No. 11 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart and peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Heatseekers - Northeast chart. The first single, "Blush", debuted as a music video on GAC in Nov. 2012. On August 26, 2013, Annie Moses Band performed on the popular Americana show, Woodsongs The band also made an appearance that same year on Huckabee.The Band's mother and founder, Robin Wolaver, released a memoir in September 2013 entitled The Song of Annie Moses which relates the story of the group's namesake, Annie Moses, and the generations that followed her from the cotton patches of Depression-era Texas to the halls of The Juilliard School. The book hit #1 on Barnes & Noble.com on the day of its release. Robin Wolaver speaks regularly on topics of family, parenting, and music education.
2015
The Annie Moses Band signed with Warner Classics in the spring of 2015. The band toured music from their newest album, American Rhapsody that year. Inspired by George Gershwin's description of his Rhapsody in Blue as an "American musical kaleidoscope", the album includes original songs and classic American folk tunes. The tour culminated with Western Odyssey, the band’s journey of exploration of the western landscapes of the United States. The trip took them to the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, and all across the midwest and beyond. The trip yielded several hit music videos, including “West, Pioneer!” and “Cherokee,” two original songs exploring the band’s family roots.2016
In the spring of 2016 Annie Moses Band released its second album with Warner Classics, The Art of the Love Song, a re-imagining of classic love songs dealing with all aspects of love. The Band led their annual music festival featuring young artists, culminating in a gala performance at the Grand Ole Opry, with guest artists: country music superstar Josh Turner, Todd Smith of Selah, and the Annie Moses Band. Their fall tour featured their new show based on their new album The Art of the Love Song.2017
Annie Moses Band toured all over the U.S. throughout the year, with a performance in Paris, France in April. New recording projects, especially new music videos, are in production amidst the band’s musical education endeavors in engaging young musicians in new musical opportunities through The Fine Arts Summer Academy and the Conservatory of Annie Moses.2018
Annie Moses Band toured across the states in Spring 2018, starting with their January appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York, their second appearance on the Isaac Stern Auditorium. The Band also appeared on The Todd Starnes Show and The Eric Metaxas Show.
The Band's educational mission hit a landmark moment in July 2018 with the opening of the Conservatory of Annie Moses building in Franklin, TN. The summer culminated with the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival, and featured six special events, including musical showcases of Americana, Jazz, several masterclasses including an acting masterclass taught by renowned character actor, John Rhys-Davies and world-class mandolinist Sierra Hull.
Annie Moses Band's Fall/Christmas Tour includes stops in Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and more.
2018 also saw several new projects related to the band, including a new children's show, a variety/home living & style show, and a new Christmas special.
2019
The Annie Moses Band will release Under the Tree of Life, a new sacred album from ManAlive Records that will be accompanied by several beautiful music videos.
Educational Outreach
Each summer the Annie Moses Band through the Annie Moses Foundation hosts the Fine Arts Summer Academy, a two-week arts program for young performers held on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Since its founding in 2004, The Fine Arts Summer Academy has attracted students from all over the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. The Academy offers tracks in orchestra, jazz band, woodwinds, musical theater arts, guitar, piano, harp, and stage tech, with intensive studies in improvisation, music theory, classical technique, and bluegrass. The event culminates in a syndicated telecast from WNPT-PBS of the FASA Young Artist Symphony at the Grand Ole Opry House. The Academy holds multiple performances at Nashville venues including Bluegrass Underground, Bluebird Cafe, Cannery Ballroom, and the Grand Ole Opry House..The Band's musical education outreach continues at the Conservatory of Annie Moses, a musical academy where students can enroll in a variety of programs offering vocal, instrumental, composition, performance, and music business tracks.
In July 2018, the Conservatory of Annie Moses Band opened its doors in Franklin, Tennessee, located next to The Factory at Franklin.
Other Media Appearances
The Annie Moses Band has appeared on PBS, Fox News and FOX 5, ABC-Dallas’s “Good Morning Texas”, Janet Parshall’s America, the 700 Club, TBN, and LeSea Broadcasting; on the radio airwaves on The Todd Starnes Show and The Eric Metaxas Show, and in the pages of Southern Living, Strings Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, The Tennessean, and The Chattanoogan.Discography
- 2005 - Eden, ManAlive Records
- 2006 - Bethlehem, House of Bread, ManAlive Records
- 2006 - Always Morning Somewhere, Manalive Records
- 2007 - Through the Looking Glass, ManAlive Records
- 2007 - Christmas Bright & Beautiful, ManAlive Records
- 2008 - This Glorious Christmas, Sony BMG/ManAlive Records
- 2009 - Christmas with the Annie Moses Band, ManAlive Records/Dream Journey
- 2012 - Pilgrims & Prodigals, ManAlive Records
- 2013 - Christmas Loves Company, ManAlive Records
- 2014 - Best of the Beginning, ManAlive Records
- 2015 - American Rhapsody, Warner Classics
- 2016 - The Art of the Love Song, Warner Classics/Rhino
- 2017 - This Glorious Christmas Deluxe - ManAlive Records
- 2019 - Under the Tree of Life - ManAlive Records