Bijan Taghavi

Bijan Taghavi is a pianist, composer, and educator currently based in New York, NY who is "able to adapt to any musical setting” (Brett Ecklund, KX 93.5 FM Jazz Quest Radio). Well-versed in many styles, Bijan has performed Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano, Latin jazz with Grammy artist Nestor Torres, and with Metropolitan Opera Singer Eric Jordan.

Bijan is also a sought-after composer and arranger, recently having written works for studio orchestra, big band, string quartet, and small jazz ensembles, including performing his original music at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts a part of the Betty Carter Jazz Residency.

Bijan leads his own group, the Bijan Taghavi Trio. They perform a mix of Bijan’s original compositions, and the music of Great American Songbook and jazz composers, such as: Billy Strayhorn, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thelonious Monk, and Kenny Barron. They have performed at many venues in California, including: Alva’s Showroom in San Pedro, Jazz at the Merc in Temecula, E Spot Lounge in Studio City, Birdland Jazzista Social Club in Oakland, and a weekly residency at Port Corona Del Mar. Recently the Trio completed a Japan tour in December 2018, which included performances at Urayasu Concert Hall in Chiba, Live House ENN in Sendai, Live House ROXX in Aamori, and Nogata Kumin Hall in Tokyo.

​Alongside a busy performing career, Bijan is very involved as an educator for Jazz Piano School. Bijan works directly with their students and produces instructional videos for their Artist Highlight and Gig Analysis series’. A published author, he has also written over twenty articles for JPS covering a range of topics in the field of jazz piano.

Growing up in Laguna Niguel, California, Bijan was classically trained under the mentorship of Robert Estrin, studying the monumental works of Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach. As a first- prize winner of the Young Stars of the Future Competition, Bijan performed the Grieg Piano Concerto as a soloist with the South Coast Symphony.

A recipient of the Presser Foundation Scholarship, Bijan earned his Bachelors of Music in Jazz Piano Performance at Manhattan School of Music and has studied with Phil Markowitz and Fred Hersch. Bijan remains active performing with various groups in NYC, recently having performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Beacon Theatre, Minton’s Playhouse Harlem, Apollo Theatre, and the 55 Bar.

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