Taylor Eigsti

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.

In addition to touring with his trio, quartet and larger ensembles, Eigsti is a regular touring member of Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective band featuring the Turtle Island Quartet, and frequently tours in a duo context with Rolling Stones’ long-time vocalist Ms. Lisa Fischer. Eigsti has been a long-time member of the regular touring bands of Gretchen Parlato, Ben Wendel, Kendrick Scott Oracle, Eric Harland Voyager, Chris Botti, and many others over the years. Eigsti has travelled internationally quite extensively over the years both as a sideman and with his trio and quartet, performing at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Royal Festival Hall, Olympia Hall, Massey Hall, Lincoln Center, Davies Symphony Hall, Salle Pleyel, and many top festivals throughout the world throughout six continents.

Eigsti has performed as a soloist with with many premiere symphony orchestras, including the New York Pops, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and many others. Eigsti has also composed a large repertoire of symphonic music for multiple collaborations with the Peninsula Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Bear Valley Chamber Orchestra, amongst others.

Eigsti has also been featured numerous times in various television specials, NPR appearances, commercials, and composed the theme music to the motion picture “Detachment” (2011) starring Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, collaborating on the score with the Newton Brothers. Eigsti was also featured on a television special with Chris Botti for PBS’s “Great Performances” and recently was featured on Terence Blanchard’s score to Spike Lee’s 2021 HBO DocuSeries “NYC Epicenters”.