Born: April 18, 1938 Primary Instrument: Piano
With over 90 recordings to his credit, 30 as a leader in his own right, pianist, composer, publisher, educator, author and touring artist, Hal Galper is best known for his work with Chet Baker, Connonball Adderley, John Scofield and the Phil Woods Quintet. His recordings as a leader with Mike and Randy Brecker are considered among the best.
Graduating from the Berklee College of Music at the height of the be-bop era, his reputation grew steadily in the changing environment of jazz. He anchored such bands as The Slide Hampton Quartet, The Lee Konitz Duo, The Stan Getz Quartet and many others. His biography is listed in the National Encyclopedia of Jazz and he has 100 original compositions recorded and published.
Galper is internationally known as an educator. His theoretical and practical articles have appeared in six of Down Beat Magazines editions and his scholarly article on the Psychology of Stage fright, originally published in the Jazz Educators Journal, has subsequently been reprinted in four other publications. The last word on the subject, his book “The Touring Musician, A Small Business Approach to Booking Your Band on the Road (Billboard Books) is now into it's second printing. His newest book, available in both print and his innovative interactive ebook “Forward Motion, From Bach to Bebop (forwardmotionpdf.com)” is become accepted in educational curriculums world-wide. Hal is on the faculty of Purchase Conservatory and the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. He extensively travels the College lecture-workshop circuit.
He has won a Grammy nomination and a Grammy for his recordings with the award-winning Phil Woods Quartet and Quintet, was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Berklee College of Music, multiple awards For outstanding Service to Jazz Education from the IAJE and has been a recipient of grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, The Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Foundation and the New School of New York.
