Steve Sanberg Solo Concert at Soapbox Gallery

Three time Emmy-nominated composer/pianist Steve Sandberg plays original music that blends classical, world music and jazz with the excitement of virtuosic improvisation.Steve grew up playing classical piano, then became part of New York’s vibrant Latin music scene. His mentor in the field of jazz and Latin music was multi-instrumentalist Mario Rivera, a member of the Dizzie Gillespie, Tito Puente, and George Coleman ensembles. Steve was pianist, composer and arranger for Rivera’s “Salsa Refugee” group, and also performed with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ruben Blades, Mario Bauza, Nestor Torres and Daniel Ponce.A highlight of this period was touring with vocalist Bebel Gilberto, as well as working with Leila Pinheiro, Emilio Santiago, Carola Saboya and other Brazilian artists as musical director/pianist for Lincoln Center’s Brazilfest. He also toured with David Byrne (“Rei Momo") as keyboardist and vocalist. Steve has studied North Indian raga singing with Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, and performs with Dr. L. Subramaniam, South India’s violin icon.He leads the Steve Sandberg Quartet, featuring violinist Zach Brock, which has appeared at Birdland, Symphony Space, Sidedoor Jazz, Miller Symphony Hall’s Upstairs Jazz, and the DiMenna Center.The quartet’s concerts combine performances from the solo piano repertoire (Chopin, Ravel, Bartok, Debussy, Bach, Liszt), with improvisations on Steve’s original compositions that are based on these pieces and also draw from Latin, African, Balkan, and East Indian traditions.  All About Jazz called their first CD “a breathtaking composite of world music, jazz, and classical expressions...an exultant music that’s incredibly personal and precise in its direction, yet universal in its language and ability to connect”Sandberg’s first Soapbox Gallery concert will feature his solo version of this concept....

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Three time Emmy-nominated composer/pianist Steve Sandberg plays original music that blends classical, world music and jazz with the excitement of virtuosic improvisation.Steve grew up playing classical piano, then became part of New York’s vibrant Latin music scene. His mentor in the field of jazz and Latin music was multi-instrumentalist Mario Rivera, a member of the Dizzie Gillespie, Tito Puente, and George Coleman ensembles. Steve was pianist, composer and arranger for Rivera’s “Salsa Refugee” group, and also performed with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ruben Blades, Mario Bauza, Nestor Torres and Daniel Ponce.A highlight of this period was touring with vocalist Bebel Gilberto, as well as working with Leila Pinheiro, Emilio Santiago, Carola Saboya and other Brazilian artists as musical director/pianist for Lincoln Center’s Brazilfest. He also toured with David Byrne (“Rei Momo") as keyboardist and vocalist. Steve has studied North Indian raga singing with Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, and performs with Dr. L. Subramaniam, South India’s violin icon.He leads the Steve Sandberg Quartet, featuring violinist Zach Brock, which has appeared at Birdland, Symphony Space, Sidedoor Jazz, Miller Symphony Hall’s Upstairs Jazz, and the DiMenna Center.The quartet’s concerts combine performances from the solo piano repertoire (Chopin, Ravel, Bartok, Debussy, Bach, Liszt), with improvisations on Steve’s original compositions that are based on these pieces and also draw from Latin, African, Balkan, and East Indian traditions.  All About Jazz called their first CD “a breathtaking composite of world music, jazz, and classical expressions...an exultant music that’s incredibly personal and precise in its direction, yet universal in its language and ability to connect”Sandberg’s first Soapbox Gallery concert will feature his solo version of this concept.

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