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John Nyerges

Pianist/composer who writes modern melodic jazz & latin tunes with interesting harmonic progressions.

About Me

John Nyerges, jazz pianist and composer, has recorded and/or performed with the Buffalo and Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse, Utica, NY, Stamford & Hartford, Conn., Northeastern & Erie Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, DE Symphony Orchestras, Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Doc Severinson, Allen Vizzutti, Don Potter, Linda Hopkins, Chris Vadala, Gerry Niewood, Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Daniels, Ray Ricker, Tony DiPaulo, Michael Civisca, Five Alive, Monica Mancini, Nancy Kelly, Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Benny Carter, Bob Brookmeyer, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Terell Stafford, Dennis Dobson, Joe Lovano, Wycliff Gordon, Michael Pedicin, Jr., Rick Holland, Vince Ercolamento, The Coasters, The Shirelles, Francine Reed, Capitol Quartet, Cabo Frio, and can be found on 3 RPO CD’s as well as on 15 other jazz CDs. 3 CD’s as a leader- 2017 Music From The Heart, 2008 “Jazz, Pictures & Poems” and 1991”Point of View” , both on NBR Jazz (self produced). He has performed several years in the Syracuse Jazzfest and the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Earned his Masters in Jazz Performance & Contemporary Media from Eastman and is currently the jazz pianist with the RPO (25th year), Director of Jazz Studies & Technology at MCC, and taught many years at Eastman’s Summer Jazz Camp. Currently he is performing with Bobby Militello (toured with Dave Brubeck) and is also creating sound tracks in his home studio. John has mixed and mastered for area projects and on two recordings for Origin Records.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it's freedom of expression and the feeling one gets from composing & playing it and communicating with other musicians. I was first exposed to piano by my older brother who played piano and heard jazz as another older brother played clarinet along to big band records as a teenager. My mother always played classical orchestra music in the house. I remember being about 4 or 5 and walked up to the piano and played a few notes my older brother was playing. I started lessons soon after that. I went to East HS with vibraphonist Joe Locke in Rochester, NY and then as a classical pianist at Eastman, I took an Improv class with the great saxophonist Bob Sheppard, studied piano with Bill Dobbins, & arranging with Ray Wright, then later on with Fred Sturm as a Masters student in Jazz Studies. The best show I ever attended was...too hard to call. A number of concerts with Herbie, Chick, so many others. A concert I played with Joe Henderson would have to be one of the favorite days in my musical life. I have a video of the rehearsal(!) For two years I played in a quartet with former Coltrane's bassist Steve 'Syeed' Davis in my 20's. That was a learning experience, the first of many. The first jazz record I bought was...McCoy Tyner "Inception" on Impulse. My advice to new listeners...listen, practice, listen, practice, listen...repeat...