East Coast musical artist Peter Nelson leads a multifaceted career as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator. As a band leader, his music has been performed in clubs, festivals and universities throughout the United States and abroad. His most recent album, “Ash, Dust, and the Chalkboard Cinema” released on Outside in Music, received critical acclaim. Featured in Downbeat magazine, All About Jazz and streamed worldwide, this sophomore album put Nelson on the map as an artist to keep an eye on for years to come. As a multi-instrumentalist sideman, he’s performed and toured with projects in myriad musical genres. Some notables are: Grammy winning singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum, Grammy winning straight ahead bassist, Christian McBride, Grammy nominated salsa singer Maelo Ruiz, and Grammy nominated contemporary jazz pianist Orrin Evans and the “Captain Black Big Band.” Nelson is also a founding member and primary composer/arranger for the popular brass band, Hudson Horns.
As a composer/arranger/transcriptionist, Nelson has worked for years with publishing companies, universities, labels, churches and independent artists. His film scoring can be heard most recently on “Just Super” a short film by Marta Bagratuni and Lee Milby that was honored in the 2017 Women's Film Festival in Philadelphia.
As an Educator, Nelson cut his teeth teaching in the Detroit Civic Jazz programs, an after school music program for students in the Metro-Detroit area and beyond to learn from professionals active in the current music industry and gig economy. Since moving to NYC in 2013 he’s given masterclasses, taught lessons, led ensembles, and even wrote curriculum for institutions such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Catskills Jazz factory, and Brooklyn Friends School. A disciple of renowned musical educator and musician’s health specialist, Jan Kagarice, Nelson’s brings a unique and engaging educational style to the classroom. He has experience with a wide age range of students from as young as three all the way to senior citizens. Bringing a joyful but driven professional perspective to audition, competition, and exam preparation - many of Nelson’s former students have gone on to become professional musicians themselves.
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