Jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti to perform Dec. 9 in Zankel

Skidmore's Department of Music will welcome New York-based pianist Taylor Eigsti in concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

Eigsti started playing piano at the age of four,inspired by his sister Shannon, a jazz and rock pianist. His musical journey since has been filled with many exciting opportunities to grow as a musician, artist, and educator. Becoming a bandleader at age 12, Eigsti was quickly labeled a prodigy and released four early albums as a leader before signing with Concord Records, where he has released three highly acclaimed albums.

Eigsti has been recognized worldwide for his innovative, intense improvisation and his unique electrifying rhythmic touch. The past year of concerts has also included the integration of electronic effects with acoustic grand piano, to rave reviews at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and the Montreal Jazz Festival.Eigsti was nominated for two Grammy Awards and featured on the cover of both Keyboard and Jazziz magazines as well as being in his own BET network TV special.

Eigsti led numerous master classes and clinics for 15 years at music workshops and camps, and various colleges such as University of California at Berkeley, Berklee College of Music, NYU, Skidmore, and many more. He is on the advisory board of Stanford Jazz Workshop, where he has taught for 12 years, and has been the featured guest artist at the prestigious Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific several times, and artist-in-residence at the Jazzschool Institute in Berkeley, Calif. His Skidmore appearance Dec. 9 is as a Sterne Virtuoso artist at the college.

Recently Eigsti released a new recording for Concord Music Group ? his seventh album as a leader - titled Daylight at Midnight. The recording features rising star singer-songwriter Becca Stevens, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. A departure from previous albums, this project integrates the influence of lyrically driven acoustic rock music through covers of songs by Coldplay, Feist, MuteMath, Imogen Heap, Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, and many others, in addition to originals.

Admission for the Dec. 9, 8 p.m. Taylor Eigsti performance is $12 general admission, $7 seniors, and $5 students. For advance reservations please click here or call the Zankel box office (518) 580-8381 for more information. The Zankel Music Center is wheelchair accessible and offers listening devices for the hearing impaired.