Israeli born, and California-based jazz pianist and arranger Tamir Hendelman will visit BGSU as Jazz Week featured artist.
Hendelman has performed with the Clayton Hamilton Big Band as well as accompanying singers including Tierney Sutton and Barbra Streisand, including during the singer’s return engagement at the Village Vanguard.
While on campus he will perform with the Jazz Lab I in Kobacker Hall, March 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8. This concert will also be live streamed.
On Wednesday, March 15 at 8 p.m. he will play with the BGSU Faculty Jazz Ensemble in a Faculty Artist Series recital in Bryan Hall. This concert will also be live streamed.
He will also present master classes during his two-day visit.
Beginning his keyboard studies at age 6 in Tel Aviv, Tamir moved to the US at age 12 in 1984, winning Yamaha’s national keyboard competition two years later at age 14. Concerts in Japan and the Kennedy Center followed.
Hendelman then studied at the Tanglewood Institute in 1988 and received a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Eastman School of Music in 1993 and became the youngest musical director for Lovewell Institute, a national arts education non-profit organization.
Since returning to LA in 1996, Hendelman has been in steady demand as pianist and arranger, touring the US, Europe and Asia, and receiving awards from ASCAP and National Foundation For Advancement in the Arts. In 1999 Hendelman was a guest soloist with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Tamir joined the Jeff Hamilton Trio in 2000, contributing arrangements, recording and touring Japan, Europe and the US. In 2001 he became a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, with whom he premiered John Clayton’s new orchestration of Oscar Peterson’s “Canadiana Suite” in the Hollywood Bowl in 2001. With the CHJO, Tamir has recorded for John Pizzarelli, Gladys Knight and Diana Krall.
In 2002 he also toured Europe with Tierney Sutton and the Bill Holman Big Band.
He is also featured on Natalie Cole’s “Still Unforgettable” and Barbara Streisand’s upcoming recording.
Tamir’s musical travels have taken him from Alaska to New York, and Thailand to Israel. In his own trio, he explores standards, Brazilian music, blues, and his Israeli roots.
He has recorded two CDs with jazz trio “Playground” with John Clayton, bass, and Jeff Hamilton, drums, and recently “Destinations” with Marco Panscia on bass and Lewis Nash on drums.
This weekend Hendelmen, Hamilton and Clayton will perform with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra.
