Taylor Eigsti
FacultyBiography
Piano
GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was four years old. Growing up in Menlo Park, CA, Eigsti was quickly labeled a prodigy, and has since released 8 albums as a bandleader, in addition to appearing on over 70 albums as a sideman. Eigsti recently won a 2022 GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his most recent album “Tree Falls”, released in 2021 on GSI Records. In addition to this recent honor, Eigsti has garnered 3 individual GRAMMY® nominations over the years for his work as a recording artist and composer, including Best Instrumental Composition, and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. Eigsti has also been featured on several other GRAMMY® nominated albums by Gretchen Parlato and Julian Lage, and co-wrote a featured composition with Don Cheadle for the GRAMMY® – winning soundtrack to the motion picture “Miles Ahead” (2017).
Eigsti has performed, toured, or recorded with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Sting, Joshua Redman, Joshua Bell, Esperanza Spalding, Chris Botti, John Mayer, Vanessa Williams, James Moody, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Snarky Puppy, Christian McBride, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dianne Reeves, Vince Mendoza, Gretchen Parlato, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Lalah Hathaway, Joe Lovano, Hank Jones, Erin Bode, and Frederica Von Stade, among many others over the years, and is a regular touring member of Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective and a duo collaboration with vocalist Lisa Fischer.