Carla Kihlstedt (born 1971) is an American composer, violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, originally from Lancaster , Pennsylvania and currently working from a home studio on Cape Cod .
She is a founding member of Tin Hat Trio (1997, renamed Tin Hat), Sleepytime Gorilla Museum , The Book of Knots, Causing a Tiger and Rabbit Rabbit. Other musical projects include 2 Foot Yard, Charming Hostess and Minamo (Carla Kihlstedt & Satoko Fujii). She is a recognized classical composer who has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), has worked occasionally on projects with Tom Waits and Fred Frith , and recorded numerous albums as a guest or session musician. Kihlstedt has studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music , and Oberlin Conservatory of Music .
In February 2012 she founded Rabbit Rabbit with her husband (and former Sleepytime Gorilla Museum drummer) Matthias Bossi. Rabbit Rabbit released their debut album, Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 1 in 2013. The band revolves around a song-a-month subscription website called Rabbit Rabbit Radio.
Collaborations and bands Phil Gelb, Carla Kihlstedt, John Shiurba, Matthew Sperry 1998–99 – Smoking Balance: The Complete Recordings (Limited Sedition, 2011) Charming Hostess 1999 – Eat (Vaccination) 2004 – Punch (RēR) 2004 – Sarajevo Blues (Tzadik ) Tin Hat 1999 – Memory Is an Elephant (Angel ) 2000 – Helium (Angel) 2002 – The Rodeo Eroded (Ropeadope /Rykodisc ) 2004 – Book of Silk (Ropeadope/Rykodisc) 2007 – The Sad Machinery of Spring (Hannibal ) 2007 – La giusta distanza (OST, Radiofandango) 2010 – Foreign Legion (BAG) 2012 – The Rain Is a Handsome Animal (New Amsterdam) Sleepytime Gorilla Museum 2001 – Grand Opening and Closing 2003 – Live (Sickroom) 2004 – Of Natural History 2005 – The Face with Shinichi "Momo" Koga (DVD, not on label) 2007 – In Glorious Times 2 Foot Yard 2003 – 2 Foot Yard (Tzadik ) 2008 – Borrowed Arms (Yard Work/CD Baby ) Lesli Dalaba, Fred Frith , Eric Glick Rieman & Carla Kihlstedt 2003 – Dalaba Frith Glick Rieman Kihlstedt (Accretions) The Book of Knots 2004 – The Book of Knots (Arclight) 2007 – Traineater (ANTI-) 2011 – Garden of Fainting Stars (Ipecac) Carla Kihlstedt & Shahzad Ismaily 2004 – Flying Low (Holy Night in the Outhouse) Carla Kihlstedt, Fred Frith & Stevie Wishart 2005 – The Compass, Log and Lead (Intakt) Carla Kihlstedt & Satoko Fujii 2007 – Minamo (Henceforth) 2009 – Kuroi Kawa ~ Black River (Tzadik) Cosa Brava 2010 – Ragged Atlas 2012 – The Letter Causing a Tiger 2010 – Causing a Tiger (Les Disques Victo) 2011 – How We Held Our Post (Twelve Cups) Carla Kihlstedt & Matthias Bossi 2008 – Ravish (And Other Tales for the Stage) with Dan Rathbun (Twelve Cups) 2011 – Still You Lay Dreaming: Tales for the Stage, II (self-released) 2012 – Niagara Falling: Tales for the Stage, III (self-released) Rabbit Rabbit 2013 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 1 (self-released) 2014 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 2: Swallow Me Whole (self-released) 1994 – Carnival Skin – Dreamchair Music 1998 – Twelve Minor – Ben Goldberg 1998 – III – The Grassy Knoll 1998 – What Is the Difference Between Stripping & Playing the Violin? – Masaoka Orchestra 1998 – Unsquare – Maybe Monday (released 2008) 1998 – Buddy Systems – Selected Duos and Trios – Gino Robair 1998 – Sonarchy 1998 – Sonarchy Trio: Kihlstedt, Gino Robair, Matthew Sperry (released 2008) 1999 – Beauty and the Bloodsucker – Eugene Chadbourne and the Insect and Western Party 1999 – Half-wit Anthems – Deadweight 1999 – Bryant Street – Dubtribe Sound System 1999 – California Mr. Bungle 1999 – Blue Third Eye Blind 1999 – Pokey in the Bobo – Baby Snufkin 2000 – Revolver (A New Spin) – Ann Dyer 2000 – Shuffle Play: Elegies for the Recording Angel – John Schott 2000 – American Pi – Austin Willacy 2001 – This Ungodly Hour – Mumble & Peg 2002 – Alice Tom Waits 2002 – Trilectic – Jewlia Eisenberg 2003 – Rybi Tuk – Už Jsme Doma 2003 – Ghost Taxi – Eesk 2004 – I'm Gonna Stop Killing – Carla Bozulich 2004 – Timelines – Lesli Dalaba 2004 – To Each According... – Redressers 2004 – An Alligator in Your Wallet – Rova::Orkestrova 2005 – Tommyland: The Ride Tommy Lee 2005 – Love Songs – Peter Garland 2005 – Motel PAK 2005 – Electric Ascension 2005 – Thin Pillow – Thin Pillow 2006 – There Be Squabbles Ahead Stolen Babies 2006 – The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact – Ben Goldberg 2006 – Half the Perfect World Madeleine Peyroux 2006 – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards – Tom Waits 2006 – Dreaming Through the Noise – Vienna Teng 2007 – The Happy End Problem 2007 – A Distant Youth – Wu Fei 2007 – A Handful of World; Kafka Songs – Lisa Bielawa 2007 – Two Rooms of Uranium Inside 83 Markers – Moe! Staiano's Moe!kestra! 2008 – Our Bright Future Tracy Chapman 2008 – Diana and James – Greg Copeland 2009 – Sugar – Mary Bragg 2009 – Fear Draws Misfortune – Cheer-Accident 2009 – Nowhere, Sideshow, Thin Air 2009 – Bare Bones – Madeleine Peyroux 2010 – Eye to Ear III 2012 – Secrets of Secrets – Aaron Novik 2015 – Orphic Machine – Ben Goldberg 
