Bloomingdale School Of Music Presents Free Jazz Tribute to Leonard Bernstein

Bloomingdale School of Music (BSM) is pleased to present A Jazz Tribute to Leonard Bernstein as part of Leonard Bernstein at 100, the global celebration of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century on Friday, June 1st at 7:00 pm. This free concert led by BSM faculty member pianist Zach Lapidus, and guest artists bassist Peter Brendler and drummer Aaron Seeber will be held at the school located at 323 West 108th Street. Seating is limited. Join BSM piano faculty member Zach Lapidus as he performs jazz re-imaginings of Leonard Bernstein's music.

Performing adaptations of Bernstein's songs in an improvisational context with arrangements by the members of the band, the trio reinterprets them through a different stylistic lens. The program will demonstrate the ways that jazz has evolved since these works were originally composed.

Zach Lapidus, Piano, * BSM Faculty - Zach Lapidus is a pianist, composer, and teacher currently based in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, Zach studied jazz under pianist Luke Gillespie and David Baker, as well as electro acoustic music and synthesis with John Gibson and Jeffrey Hass. Zach completed his Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies in 2008, and was awarded a Performer's Certificate, the highest undergraduate honor. He was also awarded a fellowship at Ravinia's Steans Institute for Young Artists, where he studied with Rufus Reid and James Moody. Most recently, he was named as one of five finalists for the American Pianists Association's 2015 Jazz Fellowship Awards. He was also selected as a finalist for their 2011 competition as well.

He has also performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Indianapolis Jazz Festival, and the North Texas Jazz Festival. His playing has been featured on broadcasts of NPR's Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater and Morning Edition, as well as on Voice of America and WBGO. He has performed with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wycliffe Gordon, Claudio Roditi, Rich Perry, Corey Christiansen, Bobby Watson, Derrick Gardner, Ralph Bowen and Maurice Brown. He also performs frequently as a solo pianist, with his own piano trio, with the electro acoustic ensemble Marauder Octobot, and as a performer of keyboards and laptop in his solo electro acoustic projects.

Peter Brendler, Bass, Guest Artist - Bassist Peter Brendler began his musical studies on electric bass, but soon gravitated towards the upright bass. In addition to playing upright and electric bass, Peter also plays guitar and piano. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 2001 from Berklee College of Music where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. While at Berklee, Peter was selected by the bass faculty to receive the John Neves Scholarship: a merit based scholarship awarded to an upright bassist who shows outstanding promise and commitment. During his time at Berklee, Peter performed extensively throughout the Boston area, and studied with such greats as Hal Crook, John Lockwood, and Bruno Raberg. After completing his studies in Boston, Peter relocated to New York. Peter returned to school from 2002-2004 and earned his Masters in Music from Manhattan School of Music. While there he studied with famed bassist, Jay Anderson, as well as Dave Liebman, Garry Dial, and Phil Markowitz. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as John Abercrombie, Rich Perry, Victor Lewis, Barry Altschul, Darren Barrett, Jeff Hirshfield, Frank Kimbrough and Jon Irabagon. In addition to his sideman credits, Peter has also record three albums as a leader/co-leader: "The Angle Below" (Steeplechase), "Outside the Line" (Posi-Tone), and the soon to be released "Message in Motion" (Posi-Tone).

Aaron Seeber, Drummer, Guest Artist - Drummer Aaron Seeber is a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. At Purchase, Aaron studied Jazz Drums under the tutelage John Riley and Kenny Washington. He was a member of the Purchase Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jon Faddis and Todd Coolman. At SUNY Purchase he had the opportunity to study with Hal Galper, Ralph Lalama, Doug Weiss, Gary Smulyan and Pete Malinverni, among others. As a performer, Seeber has share the stage with Jon Faddis, Warren Wolf, Paul Bollenback, Tim Green, Mulgrew Miller, Gary Smulyan, Freddie Redd, Alex Norris, Butch Warren, Paul Carr, Chuck Redd, and others.

He leads his own Quintet at Smalls Jazz Club twice a month and has played at many renowned venues and festivals in Washington D.C. and New York City including Blues Alley, The Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Twins Jazz, The Kennedy Center, Atlas Theater, Carnegie Hall, The DC Jazz Festival and The Falcon. BERNSTEIN AT 100 is the world-wide celebration of the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, the composer, conductor, educator, musician, cultural ambassador, and humanitarian, officially beginning on August 25, 2017, Bernstein's 99th birthday, and continuing through his 100th year until August 25, 2019. On this page you will find resources to help you discover and program Bernstein's works, in addition to news of Centennial events around the world. https://leonardbernstein.com/at100.

Now in its 53rd year, BSM has served more than 80,000 children and adults through group classes, private instruction, and performance opportunities in classical, jazz, and rock music. Each week, over 650 students of all ages participate in a wide range of music making including early childhood classes, a comprehensive pre-college program, free community concerts, and internet-based music programs. With accessibility central to its mission, more than 20% of Bloomingdale's student body receives financial aid and scholarship assistance annually.

For more information on Bloomingdale School of Music's programs and concerts, visit www.bsmny.org, call the office at 212-663-6021, or email info@bsmny.org. BSM is located in a charming historic landmark brownstone at 323 West 108th Street.