Performer at Bryant Park Week of June 9: Ted Rosenthal

The performer this week (June 9-13) at the Bryant Park piano series is Ted Rosenthal.

Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianist/composers around. The New Yorker magazine describes him as “a musician’s musician who balances technique and taste.” The Los Angeles Times calls him “a pianist of rarest skill.” Rosenthal actively tours worldwide with his trio and as a soloist. He also has performed with many jazz greats, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, and James Moody.

Performer at Bryant Park Week of June 2: Armen Donelian

The performer this week (June 2-6) at the Bryant Park piano series is Armen Donelian

For forty years, pianist, composer and Fulbright Scholar Armen Donelian has distinguished himself as a performer, recording artist, educator and author. In 25 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle and Far East, he has appeared since 1975 as a featured solo pianist, leader of his own quintet and trio, and with Jazz legends including Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Paquito D’Rivera, Mongo Santamaria and Billy Harper.

Donelian’s distinctive music blends diverse influences including his Armenian origin, his classical technique and his association with some of the biggest names in jazz.

This Week’s Piano Performer at Bryant Park: Yuka Aikawa

The performer this week (May 19-23) at the Bryant Park piano series is Yuka Aikawa.

Yuka Aikawa was born in Japan and holds a B.A. in classical piano performance from Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and an M.A. in jazz performance from Queens College, New York. Currently, she is a dance accompanist at Barnard College, The New School, and the Mark Morris Dance Center. She also accompanies musical theater, choir, and preschool movement classes at Third Street Music School. Yuka is a regular pianist for Piano in Bryant Park.

Coming Up May 30: Aimee Nolte NYC Jazz Piano Masterclass

Los Angeles-based jazz pianist/singer/educator Aimee Nolte will host a rare master class in New York City on May 30, at Piano Piano Studios.

In 2016, Aimee started her YouTube channel, “Aimee Nolte Music” where she now has nearly 300K subscribers. She shares the music that is inside of her with the world in her videos, whether through captivating duets with John Clayton and Nicki Parrott or breaking down the tiniest nuances of a McCoy Tyner solo in a way that makes even the most advanced techniques understandable to beginning musicians. Teaching topics like harmony, arranging, advanced jazz piano techniques, and even beginning piano and vocal skills comes as second nature to Aimee, and she is frequently called upon to perform and appear as a guest clinician all over the country.