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Fred Hersch is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and educator, recognized for his innovative interpretations and significant contributions to jazz over three decades.
Fred Hersch looks back on his life in jazz, sharing personal favorites and stories behind his collaborations.
Exploration of how pianist Fred Hersch's daring collaborations shaped his career, including personal favorites and stories.
Naxos released Fred Hersch's compilation of through-composed works, "Fred Hersch: Concert Music 2001-2006."
Listing of Fred Hersch as a pervasively influential creative force in jazz, shaping music over three decades.
Discussion of Fred Hersch's rich history of collaboration, highlighting early duet partners like saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom.
Fred Hersch Trio performance announcement, noting his 17 Grammy nominations and prestigious jazz awards.
Feature looking forward in Fred Hersch's career, highlighting his creation of a new brand of jazz alongside students Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson.
Article on Fred Hersch and Kurt Elling's poetic collaboration, reinterpreting Walt Whitman and inventing language.
Feature on Fred Hersch creatively dealing with isolation, mentioning his house concerts and benefit albums for Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS.
Event listing for Fred Hersch Trio, describing Hersch as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator, and recording artist with over three decades of experience.
Interview with Fred Hersch discussing his early exposure to jazz records, including music from Return to Forever and Chick Corea.
Hersch was the first artist in the 75-year history of the Village Vanguard to play a weeklong engagement as a solo pianist.
Released Hersch's album 'Live In Europe' (2018), documenting an evening in Brussels.
Published Hersch's acclaimed memoir, 'Good Things Happen Slowly' (2017).
Hersch raised $50,000 for the Jazz Foundation of America through a live duo EP and a streaming event from Steinway Hall (2020).
Hersch offers a course titled 'Thoughts and Experiments with Solo Piano'.
Fred Hersch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 21, 1955. He displayed early musical talent, beginning piano lessons at age four and composing by eight, winning national piano competitions from the age of ten. His interest in jazz developed at Grinnell College, leading him to leave school to pursue jazz in Cincinnati. Hersch further honed his skills at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, where he later became a jazz piano instructor. A pivotal moment in his early career occurred when he sat in as a pianist for Art Pepper at Gilly’s, launching his professional path. In 1977, Hersch relocated to New York City.
Throughout his career, Hersch has been a prolific artist, releasing over fifty albums as a leader or co-leader and writing more than 75 original compositions. He achieved a notable milestone as the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. His work has earned him 17 Grammy nominations across various categories including Best Jazz Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition. Beyond his performance and composition, Hersch is also a dedicated educator, having taught at institutions like the New England Conservatory, The Juilliard School, The New School, and Manhattan School of Music. He has also received numerous awards and honors, such as the 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship in Composition, the 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award, and multiple Jazz Pianist of the Year awards from the Jazz Journalists Association.
Hersch’s influence extends to a new generation of jazz pianists, including former students Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson. His discography highlights extensive collaborations with renowned artists such as Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Bill Frisell, Kurt Elling, and Renée Fleming. He has contributed to various charitable causes, notably as a spokesman and fundraiser for AIDS services and education agencies since 1993, raising over $300,000. His autobiography, “Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz” (2017), offers insights into his career and personal journey, including his experiences as an openly gay, HIV-positive jazz musician.
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