Growing up in San Jose, California, pianist Gregory Chen first found his passion for music in the works of classical greats such as J.S. Bach and Beethoven and at the age of thirteen fell in love with the sound of jazz, finding it to be a natural extension of his classical training. Soon, he was experimenting with and combining a variety of musical styles including funk, fusion, rock, world, and gospel music. By the age of eighteen, Gregory had already played at venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Jazz at the Bistro in St. Louis Missouri, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the American Jazz Museum “Blue Room†in Kansas City, and the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Cincinnati (w/ the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra). He has appeared at the Monterey and San Jose jazz festivals, among others. Gregory has had the opportunity to perform with such jazz musicians as Wynton Marsalis, Lee Konitz, Ambrose Akinmusire, Julian Lage, Bobby Watson, Anton Schwartz, and Mike Tomaro. He is currently a bachelor’s candidate in jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music studying with Garry Dial. Other teachers include Mark Soskin, Peter Horvath, and Michael Zilber among others.
