She is a violinist, violist and teacher who studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy and earned her high school diploma in 1974 before taking further studies for her Bachelor of Music in violin performance degree at Indiana University. She later studied for her Suzuki Teacher Training at Evansville University.
Working as a freelance musician she performed and recorded with numerous artists and ensembles during her career. Some of them are Ray Charles, Columbus Symphony, Mannheim Steamroller, Barry Manilow, The Moody Blues, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Rod Stewart, Symphony of Southeast Texas , Barry White and Woodlands Symphony Orchestra along with several others.
She has also performed with the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and with the Omaha Symphony where she was a member of the Omaha Symphony String Quartet. More recently she has been a member of the professional string ensemble HeartStrings Houston.
Recordings she has performed on include Unexpected Journeys by Jeff Jenkins, Christmas, A Fresh Aire Christmas and Christmas Celebration by Mannheim Steamroller and Classical Gas by Mason Williams and Mannheim Steamroller.
In the field of musical education she has held lessons in violin and viola in her own studio for more than 30 years and was a Suzuki teacher for 10 years. She has taught violin, viola and chamber music as a faculty member of the Wintergreen Music Festival and the University of South Dakota.
Mannheim Steamroller recordings
Carol of the Birds(Traditional Catlonian)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Coventry Carol (Traditional English/Robert Croo/Thomas Mawdyke)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Deck the Halls (Welsh Traditional)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone Records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Good King Wenceslas (John Mason Neale)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Wassail (Anonymous Middle Ages English/Ralph Vaughan Williams)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
We Three Kings (Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr.)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Sources:
- https://www.heartstringshouston.com/our-members
- https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3592/TMS/3101152/TMS_Lesson_Teachers.pdf
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-granata-34708367
- https://www.facebook.com/omahasymphony/photos/a.66545153489/10158371382868490/?type=3
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/grace-granata-mn0001735878
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1983345-Grace-Granata