Vijay Iyer
PROJECTS:
SOLO
An influential, shape-shifting presence in 21st-century music, composer-pianist Vijay Iyer is unarguably one of the leading music-makers of his generation. Active and revered across multiple musical communities, Iyer has created a consistently innovative, emotionally resonant body of work over the last three decades. Voted DownBeat’s Jazz Artist of the Year four times, he has released twenty-nine remarkably acclaimed albums; received three Grammy nominations, two German “Echo” awards, the Dutch “Edison” prize, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and numerous other national and international prizes; composed for classical ensembles and soloists; and collaborated with poets, filmmakers, choreographers, and music-makers from across the planet. But Iyer’s artistry finds its purest expression in his piano music, which draws from the entire spectrum from Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk to Alice Coltrane and Geri Allen, showcasing compositional clarity, rich tones, and an elegant, hypnotic drive.
TRIO or QUARTET
Vijay Iyer’s celebrated trio has been praised by NPR as “truly astonishing” and by The New York Times as “one of the best bands in jazz.” His remarkable and ever-evolving trio conception, developed over 30 years with five pivotal recordings and hundreds of performances, has not only defied the old categories but created entirely new ones, along the way nurturing an enviable roster of now-revered young musicians. His trio invariably achieves a pronounced equality among the musicians, a powerful sense of shared purpose, and a stratospheric level of attunement. Iyer’s unit often grows to a quartet with the addition of trumpet. In his seamless group performances, Iyer selects from his ever-expanding catalog of compositions to push virtuosic interplay and emotional intensity into the foreground.
SPECIAL PROJECTS:
FIELDWORK
Described as “provocatively collaborative and thoroughly modern” by The New York Times and as a “power trio for the new century” by NPR, Fieldwork is a longstanding collective of three internationally revered pioneers of contemporary music: pianist-composer Vijay Iyer, saxophonist-composer Steve Lehman, and drummer-composer Tyshawn Sorey. Their individual trajectories as bandleaders and recording artists have captivated audiences and critics worldwide. As a band they employ a communal rehearsal process that they began over twenty years ago, in which extended group improvisations are used to develop and transform their individual compositions into breathtaking ensemble performances. Together they conjure a dense, visceral musical world, tightly unified, extroverted, and high-impact, with a persistent, mysterious inner logic. Thereupon, Fieldwork’s long-awaited fourth album, was released in September 2025.
PRESS:
“one of the best in the world at what he does”
Pitchfork
“Iyer clearly has a voice for all seasons”
London Times
“Iyer’s music knows no bounds... If you're looking for the shape of jazz to come, here it is”
Rolling Stone
“Magnificent... a perfect blend of luscious melody, thumping rhythms and complexity... breaks new ground while always maintaining a tenderness for the joy of music itself”
DownBeat
“One of the great musicians of his generation... Iyer resolves the contradictions of the world in beauty.”
Der Spiegel
