Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is in the vanguard of his generation’s advancement of music and the related arts.

The Emmet Cohen Trio presents a dynamic and thoughtful jazz performance, rooted in tradition but open to modern influences. Known for their strong interplay and refined musicianship, the group brings a fresh, engaging approach to the classic piano trio format.

About Emmet Cohen:

Cohen has achieved a comprehensive position in the world of the creative arts that extends beyond keyboard performance; he is devoted to teaching and presenting new concepts to students. Cohen serves as an international clinician, visiting schools and colleges offering master classes, hosting performances, and giving lectures. In years past Cohen has supported developing artists through his

work with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the YoungArts Foundation, of which he is an alumnus. He creates an educational atmosphere which encourages student performers to be responsive to their audiences.

Emmet Cohen was the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association; as such he served as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis. In 2023 the Jazz Journalists Association named Cohen Pianist of the Year and Live-stream Producer of the Year for “Live From Emmet’s Place.” He won both the 2014 American Jazz Pianists Competition and the 2011 Phillips Piano Competition at the University of West Florida and, as a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, he was received in the Oval Office by President Obama.

Cohen has appeared in varied international jazz events, including the Newport, Monterey, Detroit, North Sea, Bern, Edinburgh, and Jerusalem jazz festivals, as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. He has also performed at the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, Jazz Standard, London’s Ronnie Scott’s, Jazzhaus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, the Cotton Club in Tokyo, and Washington’s Kennedy Center. For many years he was Hammond B-3 organist-in-residence at Harlem’s SMOKE jazz club.

In addition to leading the “Emmet Cohen Trio,” Cohen has appeared regularly with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Kurt Elling, and Billy Hart, among others, and is a member of Christian McBride’s “Tip City” trio and the “Herlin Riley Quintet.” He is a Mack Avenue recording artist whose premier releases on that label demonstrate his 21st century recalibration of Harlem’s “stride” piano style: “Uptown in Orbit” (2022) showcases trumpeter Sean Jones and saxophonist Patrick Bartley, and “Future Stride” (2021) features Marquis Hill and Melissa Aldana. Cohen’s other recordings include “Vibe Provider” (2024), a tribute to Funmi Onanaiye; “Masters Legacy Series Volume 5: Houston Person” (2023); “Masters Legacy Series Volume 4: George Coleman” (2019); “Masters Legacy Series Volume 3: Benny Golson and Tootie Heath” (2019); “Dirty in Detroit” (2018); “Masters Legacy Series Volume 2: Ron Carter” (2018), a “Downbeat” top-rated album; “Masters Legacy Series Volume 1: Jimmy Cobb” (2017); “Questioned Answer” (2014), co-produced with Brian Lynch; “Infinity” (2013), featuring his Italian trio: and his acclaimed debut CD “In the Element” (2011), with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Rodney Green.

Cohen holds a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he studied with the esteemed pianist and educator Shelly Berg. In his formative years he was tutored in classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music’s Pre-College Division.

A dynamic and charismatic performer, Emmet Cohen possesses wide-ranging talents that are invigorating the contemporary arts world both in the U.S. and abroad and are received enthusiastically worldwide.

Emmet Cohen is a YAMAHA artist.