Brian Marsella

Brian Marsella is a pianist, composer, bandleader and educator living in New Jersey. A Philadelphia native, Marsella moved to New York in 1998 and has been touring and recording consistently since. Currently Marsella has released 19 albums as a leader or co- leader. His projects include the large ensembles iMAGiNARiUM and Gatos do Sul, the jazz quintet The Flail, the psychedelic surf-rock trio The Modulators, Archipelago X (with Ikue Mori and Sae Hashimoto) as well as two acoustic piano trios (one featuring Kenny Wollesen and Trevor Dunn and the other with Christian McBride and Anwar Marshall.) OUTSPOKEN: The Music of Hasaan Ibn Ali (McBride, Marshall) was chosen as a Best Album of 2018 by The New York City Jazz Record. Gatos do Sul was chosen as a best album of 2020 by Downbeat. Brian can also be heard on over 50 other albums including 25 on John Zorn's TZADIK label (10 as a leader).

Over the past 7 years, Brian has become a central figure in John Zorn's world as a musician in both his Masada and Bagatelle projects as well as a member of Zorn's Cobra, New Electric Masada, powerhouse quartet Chaos Magick (John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg, and Kenny Grohowski), new piano trio with Ches Smith and Jorge Roeder and the jazz quartet Incerto (Smith, Roeder and Julian Lage).

Marsella has been of member of Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey and founding member of Banquet of the Spirits. With Cyro, Brian has toured the world and helped lead workshops in Brazilian rhythms and in the community building project, 'Sound of the Community.'

Brian graduated in 2000 with a BFA from The New School. A passionate teacher, Brian has come full circle and now is on the faculty of the College of Performing Arts at The New School. In addition to being on the piano faculty of the jazz and contemporary music program, Brian teaches the Cross Genre Improvisation Workshop, John Zorn’s Cobra and John Zorn’s Masada. Brian also is on the jazz piano faculty of the Interlochen Arts Academy

Brian has performed with John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, Matisyahu, Marshall Allen, Nels Cline, Hassan Hakmoun, Jon Irabagon, Ikue Mori, Meg Okura’s Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble, Chris Lightcap’s SuperBigmouth and Superette, Jessica Lurie Ensemble, Zion80, Edom, Pharaoh's Daughter, Yemen Blues and Fresh Cut Orchestra in venues and festivals around the world including the Village Vanguard, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Kimmel Center, Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Salle Pleyel (Paris), Newport Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Melbourne Jazz Festival and Big Ears Festival (Knoxville, TN).

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