Eric Stern
About Me
Eric Stern is a 24-year old jazz pianist, composer, educator, and arranger who makes “keyboarding more like surfboarding, wave after wave at breakneck speed. Every solo is a show unto itself" (BroadwayWorld). Eric’s ability to blend seamlessly into almost any style within the genre, while staying authentic and true to the music, has allowed Eric to quickly establish himself as a rising star in the NYC jazz scene.
Eric grew up in Brooklyn, New York, studying at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music with various classical and jazz teachers. His passion for jazz began in middle school, and in high school, he got involved in several New York City arts programs, including the Belongó Fat Cats Big Band directed by noteworthy drummer Zack O’Farrill. He also studied privately with Jacob Sacks.
In 2019, Eric moved to Miami, Florida to study at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. While at the Frost School of Music, Stern had the opportunity to study privately with Shelly Berg, Martin Bejerano, Alex Brown, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, as well as working with GRAMMY-winners Dafnis Prieto, Regina Carter, Terrell Stafford, Dick Oatts, and John Daversa.
After graduating from Frost in 2023, Eric returned to NYC to pursue a Masters Degree at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Ted Rosenthal, Phil Markowitz, Jon Faddis, Nicole Glover, John Benitez, Buster Williams, and others. Eric graduated in 2025 with his Master’s from Manhattan School of Music.
Eric has won numerous awards throughout his career, including being a National YoungArts Honorable Mention in 2020, the winner of the Bösendorfer prize at the American Jazz Pianist Competition, and an attendee of the 2022 JAS Summer Jazz Academy, working with Christian McBride. He also is a 2022 Downbeat Award Winner as the pianist for the Funk Fusion ensemble at the Frost School of Music, directed by Steve Rucker. He is a 2025 Detroit Collegiate Combo Competition Winner.
In 2023, Eric played on two records, Kate Kortum’s debut record Good Woman, and on a live record from the Frost Jazz Orchestra, Live at Gusman Concert Hall.
He is slated to be on Julian Wittich’s debut album, being recorded in December of 2025. Eric is also on the upcoming release of John Benitez with Revolution, set to come out sometime in 2026.
Currently, Eric has been playing with Grammy-winning bassist John Benitez in the Revolution Sextet, playing regularly at venues such as Terraza 7 and Arthur’s Tavern, and at the Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival. Additionally, Eric has been playing with Noah Myers’ group Sonder. The group won the 2025 Detroit Collegiate Combo Competition, and a month later played in the Detroit Jazz Festival, Eric’s first major jazz festival as a performer. Sonder also played at the WAHI Jazz Festival in the fall of 2025. Eric also works with La Carabali, a mambo-style salsa band founded by legendary pianist Oscar Hernandez. Eric is also playing in the 26-year anniversary production of Retumba La Roka, a production which highlights Puerto Rican discourse in modern-day New York City. Eric also is the sitting pianist in Rene Calvo’s Strawberry Mouth, a psychedelic blues band. The trio plays every Tuesday at the Harlem Flophouse seasonally. Additionally, Eric has a duo project with acclaimed vocalist Joie Bianco. The duo played in Massachusetts in this past November in Ashtonwood. Eric has also been playing frequently with drummer Michael Shapira’s jazz fusion project Pocketwatch, performing semi-regularly at The Harlem Flophouse this year. Eric has also been playing occasionally at So&So’s Piano Bar in a solo piano setting. Eric also collaborates with a Brooklyn-based hip-hop collective, Good Lives Crew, and has recorded extensively with the crew, with a goal to release the music by the end of 2025.
Eric’s most current project is his Cuban Jazz Project. The collective, currently a trio, has a monthly residency at Terraza 7. The Project also had the opportunity to headline at Saint Peter’s Church (the Jazz Vespers) in early November of 2025 for the Dia de los Muertos Celebration. Eric’s Quintet has played at venues such as ShapeShifter Lab and Chelsea Table and Stage in NYC, and Lagniappe and WDNA in Miami.