Kenny Werner

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Oceanside, Long Island, Werner began playing and performing at a young age, first appearing on television at age 11.

Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing whatever he heard on the radio, and improvisation was his true calling. In high school and his early college years, he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a classical piano student.

His aptitude for improvisation led him to Berklee College of Music in 1970, where he met and studied with his first piano/spirit teacher, Madame Chaloff.

From Boston, Werner travels to Brazil with saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil. There he met Assis’ twin brother, Brazilian pianist Joao Assis Brasil. His studies with Joao and Madame Chaloff led him to write the book Effortless Mastery.

In the 1990s Werner released three award-winning albums, Kenny Werner at Maybeck, Concord Duo Series, Vol. 10, and Live at Visiones.

In 2000, Werner formed a trio with Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, with Werner serving as composer, arranger and pianist.

In 2007 he released his first album for Blue Note, Lawn Chair Society, with Chris Potter, Dave Douglas, Scott Colley, and Brian Blade.

Werner received a Guggenheim Fellowship for the album No Beginning No End (Half Note, 2010), which explores tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one life to another. Joe Lovano, Judi Silvano and over seventy musicians participated in the album.