Grammy-nominated jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and MacArthur Fellow, VIJAY IYER is regarded by Pitchfork as "one of the best in the world at what he does," by The Village Voice as "the most commanding pianist and composer to emerge in recent years," and by The New Yorker as one of "today’s most important pianists…extravagantly gifted."

Iyer bridges the avant-garde with the mainstream, composes classical arrangements yet loves improvisation. March 2014 marked the release of Mutations, his 18th album and his debut for the ECM label: a recording for piano, string quartet and electronics, the first album to document his works for chamber ensembles. Iyer also began a permanent appointment at Harvard University’s Department of Music, as the Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts. Other recent honors include a 2012 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, an unprecedented “quintuple crown” in the 2012 Down Beat International Critics Poll (winning Jazz Artist of the Year, Pianist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year, Jazz Group of the Year, and Rising Star Composer categories), a “quadruple crown” in the JazzTimes extended critics poll (winning Artist of the Year, Acoustic/Mainstream Group of the Year, Pianist of the Year, and Album of the Year), the Pianist of the Year Awards for both 2012 and 2013 from the Jazz Journalists Association, and the 2013 ECHO Award (the “German Grammy”) for best international pianist.