How about switching things up and featuring a musician today? Not a pop star belting into a microphone, either, but an instrumentalist who can make a violin sound like the coolest thing in the room. Meet Lindsey Stirling, a virtuoso whose talent is matched by looks that could easily have her mistaken for a model.
She plays, she dances, she performs, and somehow manages to make all of it look effortless. Meanwhile, the rest of us are still struggling to clap along to a song. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be impressed—and possibly a little intimidated. Let’s get to know Lindsey Stirling.
Who is Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and dancer who has built a career around doing something most people probably wouldn’t think to combine: playing the violin while performing elaborate choreography. She has been showcasing that unusual—and seriously impressive—combination through live performances and music videos on her official YouTube channel, which she launched in 2007.
Her music refuses to stay in one genre. Stirling moves comfortably between classical, pop, rock, and electronic dance music, while also putting her own spin on compositions by legendary figures such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Antonio Vivaldi. Her catalog also includes numerous soundtrack covers, because apparently one musical universe isn’t enough.
Her 2012 video Crystallize became YouTube’s eighth-most-watched video of the year. In 2013, her cover of Radioactive with Pentatonix won Response of the Year at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards. By August 2014, Stirling had sold one million singles worldwide.
Her success earned her a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Music: The Class of 2015. The publication highlighted her quarter-finalist run on Season 5 of America’s Got Talent in 2010, the No. 2 debut of her second album, Shatter Me, on the Billboard 200 in 2014, and her enormous YouTube audience, which had reached 11 million subscribers.
Stirling’s self-titled debut album was also a commercial success internationally, selling 200,000 copies in Germany and earning a platinum certification there. It picked up additional certifications in Austria, Switzerland, and Poland and received a nomination for Top Dance/Electronic Albums at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
Her follow-up, Shatter Me, went a step further, winning Top Dance/Electronic Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Not bad for an artist who essentially looked at a violin and thought, “You know what this needs? Choreography.”
Her Early Life
Lindsey Stirling was born on September 21, 1986, and grew up as the middle of three daughters born to Stephen and Diane Stirling. She has described her childhood as modest but deeply meaningful, saying she wouldn’t trade those humble years for anything.
Money was tight enough that her parents could only afford to find a violin teacher willing to give her half-length lessons. Some instructors reportedly warned that 15 minutes of violin instruction a week wasn’t enough for a child to learn properly. Her parents ignored the pessimism, and Stirling began taking lessons at age five. Clearly, the family wasn’t big on accepting “it can’t be done” as an answer.
Growing up in Gilbert, Arizona, Stirling attended Greenfield Junior High before enrolling at Mesquite High School at 16. There, she joined four friends in a rock band called Stomp on Melvin. She wrote a solo violin-rock piece for the group, and her performance helped her win Arizona’s Junior Miss state title and the Spirit Award at the America’s Junior Miss Finals. She also spent about a year performing with the Charley Jenkins Band.
Music wasn’t her only passion, either. From an early age, Stirling was fascinated by dance and dreamed of studying both dancing and violin. Eventually, she found a way to combine the two—and that combination would become the signature that made her stand out from practically every other violinist around.
Career Journey
In 2010, at 23, Lindsey Stirling took her violin—and a healthy disregard for musical conventions—to Season 5 of America’s Got Talent. Described as a “hip hop violinist,” she made it to the quarter-finals by blending hip-hop, pop, and classical music while dancing as she played. Yes, actually dancing. She later brought the same combination to her tours and official music videos, turning the traditionally formal violin into something considerably more energetic.
Not long after her America’s Got Talent appearance, cinematographer Devin Graham reached out about collaborating on a YouTube project. They filmed a music video for Stirling’s Spontaneous Me during the week of May 9, 2011, and the result gave her online popularity a serious boost. She began producing music videos regularly for her YouTube channel, Lindseystomp, which she had launched in 2007 and named after her former band, Stomp on Melvin. By November 2018, the channel had surpassed 3 billion views and 12 million subscribers. Apparently, the internet was quite happy to watch someone aggressively multitask with a violin.
Her growing profile attracted major industry attention. On April 22, 2013, Lady Gaga’s manager, Troy Carter, announced a deal with Stirling after being impressed by her rapid rise. That June, her self-titled debut album earned its first gold certification in Germany.
In January 2015, Stirling was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, placing her among the year’s notable young musicians and entertainers. Around the same time, Billboard reported that Shatter Me and Lindsey Stirling ranked No. 1 and No. 2 among the best-selling dance/electronic albums of 2014. On February 7, 2015, she performed at the Grammy Foundation’s 17th Annual Legacy Concert.
Stirling continued developing her distinctive sound and visual style. On June 21, 2019, she announced her fifth album, Artemis, explaining that the project was inspired by the Greek goddess and reflected parallels with her own experiences and challenges. By July 2020, she had another milestone to celebrate: her YouTube channel had passed 3 billion views.
In August 2020, Stirling reunited with Evanescence as a collaborator on the band’s single Use My Voice, joining a lineup of rock musicians that also included her previous collaborator Lzzy Hale.
She began 2022 by revealing that she had written the theme song for the CBS series Good Sam, starring Sophia Bush. In early 2024, she performed for Yamaha at the NAMM Show, where she was also honored with a She Rocks Award.
Later that year, Stirling’s music made an appearance on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, American gymnast Suni Lee performed her floor routine to Stirling’s Eye of the Untold Her. Stirling also confirmed in September that she would return for another winter tour, beginning in Toronto at Meridian Hall and continuing for 21 dates through the holiday season.
From reality-TV auditions to billions of YouTube views and Olympic floor routines, Stirling has spent her career proving that the violin is perfectly capable of having a little fun. And apparently, it can dance, too.
Facts and Trivia
Lindsey Stirling has used her music career for more than just entertaining packed venues. She has also made philanthropy a regular part of the job, proving that even a violin can help make the world a little better.
In October 2013, Stirling partnered with the nonprofit Atlanta Music Project, which provides music education to underserved young people. She released two limited-edition Lindsey Stirling/The Power of Music shirts, with proceeds going directly toward the organization’s goal of providing music training for 50 children.
The following year, on March 22, 2014, Stirling joined Cirque du Soleil for the second annual One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas. Held at Mandalay Bay in recognition of World Water Day, the event raised awareness and support for efforts to improve access to clean water around the world.
During her 2017 Warmer in the Winter tour, Stirling encouraged VIP guests to bring unopened toys for Toys for Tots. As a thank-you, donors received an exclusive photo laminate featuring Stirling and her pet chihuahua, Luna Latte. Because apparently even holiday giving can come with a little Lindsey Stirling memorabilia.
In December 2018, she performed at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre as part of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western New York’s concert series. All proceeds from the show benefited the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House and the Family Lounge & Happy Wheel Cart at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Stirling stepped up again. In April 2020, she launched The Upside Fund, a nonprofit created to support people experiencing financial hardship during the crisis. By July, she had personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and expanded the initiative to help people facing broader economic difficulties. Later that month, Canadian company Tea North pledged to donate all of its online profits for a month to the fund.
Stirling continued finding creative ways to raise money. In August 2020, she auctioned several of her performance outfits on eBay, donating all proceeds to The Upside Fund. She repeated the effort in May 2021, including the outfit she wore in the Roundtable Rival music video. For the 2021 holiday season, she partnered with Resolve Partners to encourage donations to help people struggling with medical expenses. In November, she teamed up with Fandiem for an online giveaway in which fans could donate for a chance to win a limited-edition Yamaha Crystallize violin and a virtual lesson with Stirling. She held another performance-outfit auction in February 2022.
Stirling also participated in the 320 Festival on May 8, 2020, a mental health awareness event created by Talinda Bennington and Kevin Lyman. Because of pandemic restrictions, she performed via livestream from her sister’s farm in Missouri, with net proceeds going to the event’s nonprofit partners.
In March 2022, Stirling launched another auction, this time supporting UNICEF’s efforts in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. The lots included performance and tour outfits, as well as a violin she had used as a teenager. Collectively, the items raised more than $16,000.
And then there are the violins themselves. Stirling uses different instruments depending on the job, because apparently owning one violin would be far too straightforward. For live performances, she primarily uses the Yamaha SV-250 Silent Violin Pro and a Luis and Clark “Nero” carbon-fiber acoustic violin. She has played Yamaha’s electric violin since 2000, while the Luis and Clark instrument gained particular attention after she used it for her 2013 cover of Radioactive with Pentatonix.
For studio recordings, Stirling generally uses an early-1900s Ernst Heinrich Roth acoustic violin, along with her Yamaha Silent Violin when she wants an especially clean sound. Whether she’s performing onstage, recording in a studio, or raising money for a good cause, Stirling has managed to make the violin an unexpectedly versatile tool—and not just for playing music.
Her Body Measurements
Lindsey stands 5 feet, 3 inches and she rocks a 33-24-34 figure.
Lindsey Stirling Photos
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