Sorin Zlat

Sorin Zlat (Piano)

Sorin Zlat is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, Yamaha Artist, and professor of jazz piano at the National University of Music Bucharest. Described by the EFG London Jazz Festival and NCPA Mumbai as “one of the leading jazz musicians of his generation,” and praised by London Jazz News as a “virtuoso pianist,” Sorin has established himself as one of the distinctive voices of contemporary European jazz. With more than 30 national and international awards, his career brings together virtuosity, expressive improvisation and a deeply personal compositional language.

His major international distinctions include the Grand Prize at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida (2015), where he became the first non-American pianist to win the competition; the Grand Prize at the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition (2015); the Grand Prize at the Monaco International Jazz Competition (2013); and multiple Best Jazz Musician awards in Romania.

Sorin graduated from the George Enescu University of Arts in Iași, where he studied classical clarinet, before completing a Master’s degree in Jazz and Composition (Piano) at the National University of Music Bucharest. He later expanded his artistic career into screen composition, completing an Artist Diploma in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music in London on a full scholarship. He is currently a doctoral student on a full scholarship at the National University of Music Bucharest, where his research explores jazz in film music.

Following his victory at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he returned to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in 2017 as an invited artist, performing with Dennis Marks on double bass and Clyde Connor on drums and opening for Chick Corea. He was also invited to perform at the prestigious Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in the United States, further strengthening his presence on the American jazz scene.

Sorin maintains an active international performing career across Europe, the United States and Asia. His festival appearances include Montreux Jazz Festival,

London Jazz Festival, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Getxo International Jazz Festival, Roccella Jazz Festival, Bucharest Jazz Festival, Monaco Jazz Festival, Jaffa Jazz Festival, Baku Jazz Festival, Izmir Jazz Festival and Brussels Jazz Festival, among others. He has also performed at internationally renowned venues including Blue Note, Birdland and Smalls in New York; Ronnie Scott’s, Kings Place, PizzaExpress Live and Vortex Jazz Club in London; Music Village and Jazz Station in Brussels; Nardis Jazz Club in Istanbul; Sunset-Sunside in Paris; B-flat in Berlin; and NCPA Mumbai, among others.

As a performer and composer, he has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians including Jerry Bergonzi, Rick Margitza, Ashley Pezzotti, Baptiste Herbin, Colin Stranahan, Stefano di Battista, Howard Levy, Tony Lakatos, Woody Witt, Gianni Gagliardi, Riley Stone-Lonergan, Gianluca Renzi, David Craig, Joel Barford, Antoine Pierre, Daniel Dufour, Dennis Marks and Clyde Connor, among others. He has also collaborated on numerous projects with the Romanian Radio Big Band and, since 2017, has been the pianist of the Ploiești Jazz Trio, affiliated with the “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic in Ploiești.

His discography includes several releases as pianist, composer and arranger, among them Endurance and The Land of Dreams. The latter features collaborations with international musicians including Tony Lakatos, Woody Witt, Gianni Gagliardi, Sál Lozano, Daniel Dufour and David Craig.

Alongside his performing career, Sorin is active internationally as an educator and mentor, having presented jazz piano masterclasses and educational programs in the United States, Europe and Asia. His teaching focuses on improvisation, musical interaction, listening, ensemble communication and the development of an individual artistic voice.

In 2019, in recognition of his artistic achievements and international career, he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Bacău, his hometown. The same year, he became an official Yamaha Artist.

Sorin is currently preparing the release of his new album, Changing Times, scheduled for November 2026. Centred around his original compositions, the project combines contemporary jazz, improvisation and a strong melodic language with cinematic influences, marking a new chapter in his artistic development. The album will form the basis of an international tour currently being developed for 2027.

At the centre of his musical identity is storytelling. His musical language combines a strong foundation in the jazz tradition with contemporary harmony, rhythmic complexity, expressive improvisation and a highly melodic approach to composition. Alongside his jazz career, he continues to develop his work as a composer for film and visual media, bringing cinematic storytelling, orchestral colours and emotional depth into his original music and creating a natural connection between jazz, orchestration and screen composition.

Awards

2026 | Jazz Career Award, Jazz Compas Gala, Bucharest, Romania

2023 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2021 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2020 | Yamaha Jazz Artist

2019 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2019 | Honorary Citizen of the City of Bacău, Romania

2018 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2017 | Jazz Award, Romanian Composers and Musicologists Union (UCMR), Bucharest, Romania

2017 | International Lifetime Achievement Award, Romanian Cultural Institute / Jazz Awards Gala / Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2016 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2015 | Grand Prize, Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Jacksonville, Florida, USA — First non-American pianist to win the competition

2015 | Grand Prize, Montreux Jazz Piano Competition, Montreux, Switzerland

2015 | Musician of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Muzza Foundation, Bucharest, Romania

2015 | Nomination, “People of the Time,” Public Diplomacy Section, Romania

2014 | Special Jury Prize, awarded by pianist Leszek Możdżer, Montreux Jazz Piano Competition, Montreux, Switzerland

2014 | Musician of the Year Award, Bucharest, Romania

2014 | First Prize and Audience Award, International Jazz Piano Solo Competition, Vilnius, Lithuania

2014 | Finalist, “Made in NYC” International Jazz Competition, New York City, USA

2014 | Finalist, International Jazz Competition for Solo Piano, Nottingham, England

2013 | Special Jury Prize & Golden Jazz Trophy, International Jazz Competition, Lille, France

2013 | Grand Prize and Audience Award, Monaco International Jazz Competition, Monaco

2013 | Best Band Award, Johnny Răducanu International Jazz Competition, Brăila, Romania

2012 | Special Jury Prize, International Jazz Competition, Hoeilaart, Belgium

2011 | Grand Prize for Best Solo Performance, Grand Prize for Best Trio, and Audience Award, Getxo International Jazz Competition, Getxo, Spain

2011 | Grand Prize, EUROPAfest International Jazz Competition, Bucharest, Romania

2011 | Special Jury Award for Overseas Activity, Jazz Awards Gala, Bucharest, Romania

2010 | Grand Prize, International Jazz Competition, Sibiu, Romania

2010 | Confirmation of the Year Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Bucharest, Romania

2010 | Best Band Award, International Jazz Competition, Târgu Mureș, Romania

2009 | Debut Award, Jazz Awards Gala, Bucharest, Romania

2009 | Grand Prize, International Jazz Competition for Students, Târgu Mureș, Romania

Gear

Yamaha Grand Pianos
Yamaha MODX M8
Yamaha MODX7+
Yamaha CP88
Yamaha YC61
Yamaha Genos