Yaz Lancaster (they/them) is a Black transdisciplinary artist. They are most interested in practices aligned with relational aesthetics & the everyday; fragments & collage; and liberatory politics.

Yaz performs as a violinist, vocalist & steel-pannist in a wide variety of settings; and their work is presented in many mediums & collaborative projects. It often reckons with specific influences ranging from politics of liberation and identity to natural phenomena and poetics. Their ongoing independent studies navigates prison-industrial-complex abolition, Marxist theory, and internet/social media cultures. Their writing appears in various online & in-print publications including I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, Afternoon Visitor, the tiny, and Underblong, where their poem “Ratios” was awarded the 2021 Blongprize, as well as a Pushcart nomination.

Yaz has had the privilege & opportunity to build community & create with artists like A Far Cry, Andy Akiho, ContaQt (with Evan Ziporyn), Contemporaneous, Freddie June, George Lewis, Hypercube, JACK Quartet, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Skiffle Steel Orchestra, and Wadada Leo Smith. Most recently, they have been developing the post-genre duo laydøwn with Canadian guitarist-producer Andrew Noseworthy; and working on new music for Beth Morrison Projects, BRKFST Dance Company, and Bearthoven. Yaz has recording credits on recent/upcoming projects with BAKUDI SCREAM, Massa Nera, Miss Grit, Nyokabi Kariũki & Ted Hearne. Their debut album of commissioned music for violin/voice & electronics with video AmethYst is forthcoming on people | places | records in early fall 2022.

Yaz holds degrees in violin and poetry from New York University where they studied with Cyrus Beroukhim, Robert Honstein, Joan La Barbara & Terrance Hayes (among others). They currently live in Lenapehoking (NYC) with their bassador puppy Nori; and they enjoy chess, horror movies, and taking boxing lessons.