A concert with a difference as Hugh Mather announced it . The eclectic Jed Distler ,composer, writer,critic ,jazz and classical pianist ,improviser and compère .

In London these past weeks playing Mahler Leningrad Symphony with Cristian Sandrin at the Liberal and Reform Clubs. Flying high, fearlessly with Thelonius Monk in St Pancras clock tower before flying to Finland to play Mahler 9th and give masterclasses.

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/09/09/jed-distler-and-cristian-sandrin-beyond-the-siege-at-the-nlc-a-with-a-searing-tale-of-courage-and-resistence-that-we-must-never-forget/

Next month sees him compèring with Ben Laude of Tonebase fame , the television coverage of the Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. In his spare time – in my guest room – he has been writing reviews for Gramophone and International Piano Magazines as well as recording his programmes for his radio broadcasts in New York entitled : ‘Between the Keys’ .Apart from this he has been supporting young musicians in London listening to their concerts and offering to share views with them. Humility and generosity is the name of the game for Jed and a vitality that he injects into all he does.

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/09/20/evelyne-berezovsky-at-bechstein-hall-irresistible-you/

Today in Perivale he sat at the piano and played Schumann Arabesque with a freshness and the same sense of discovery that he was to share in the more complex works that followed. Just last night Jed and Damir Duramovic had been sharing views on the Arabesque and today I could see that the ideas they shared were being added to his Schumann in a voyage of discovery that illuminates all he does.

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2023/04/03/damir-durmanovic-in-cyprus/

In fact we heard a concert by a Evelyne Beresovsky , who often plays in Perivale ,and plays with a freedom and emotional generosity ,with a daring that can be stimulating as it can be dangerous.Live dangerously and you will never be bored ….you might even be inspired !!!! Leaving the concert he declared that she had inspired him to be free and easy and constantly search deeply into the world of sound.

In fact we heard today a multi coloured Schumann played with the improvised freedom of a true musician, with subtle inner colours and tenor doublings. Bass notes that seemed to appear spontaneously as they illuminated a work that can sound so repetitive in less inquisitive hands. His own work taking up half of the recital was a work written thirty years ago when Jed was much influenced by Tippett’s fourth Piano Sonata. Very amusingly he described the piece as being like the offspring of Michael Tippett and Keith Jarrett ! One of the rare pieces by Jed’s teacher who mainly wrote for wind bands was a Piano Song by David Maslanka, that he followed with a Fantasy on John Lennon’s ‘ Give peace a Chance ‘ by his friend Frederic Rzewski .

‘In an interview Rzewski mentioned that he was commisioned to write a piece based on a song from The Beatles and then Rzewski did pick this song but it got several problems on publication sadly, mostly due of copyright issues but he was aware that Lennon actually took a theme from the finale of Brahms Symphony No.1 to make his song which he found kinda unfair (anyway Brahms is on public domain so it is not a big deal for that Lennon’s composition)… but anyway as you may notice the structure is quite reminiscent like as a North American Ballad from himself also, only with a different tune and not American also, such a nice piece, and have in mind that this performance contains several Improvisation by the composer himself, you can feel free to include these improvisations on the same passages or decide to not.’

Jed’s own transcription of a piece by Bill Evans concluded this fascinating unique afternoon. A sound world that is in continuous evolution, the same improvised freedom that a jazz player can have and that could inspire classical interpreters to recreate rather than reproduce. In fact to become a true kapellmeister as Karajan insisted on being described.
As Dr Mather said what an honour to have Jed in our midst and not a note of Chopin in the air !

Composer/pianist and Steinway Artist Jed Distler gained acclaim early in his career for transcribing jazz piano solos by Art Tatum and Bill Evans. As a pianist championing new music, his recitals have offered premiers of works by Virgil Thomson, Richard Rodney Bennett, Frederic Rzewski, Alvin Curran, Lois V Vierk and many more. His master classes, lecture/demonstrations and work as a sought-after adjudicator have taken him across the United States and throughout Europe. Distler’s presenting organization ComposersCollaborative, Inc earned a Guinness Record for world’s largest keyboard ensemble, featuring his works for 175 electronic keyboards. In 2021 Distler embarked on a multi-year project performing all of Mahler’s Symphonies in four-hand arrangements with pianists around the globe. He currently is composing 1, 827 Bagatelles for the 2027 Beethoven anniversary year. Distler has recorded prolifically for the highresolution Steinway Spirio player piano, while TNC Music released Distler’s solo piano CD “Fearless Monk.” (available from Bandcamp). His 2025 fall tour includes recitals and master classes in the UK, Finland, Poland and Italy. 

As Artist-in-Residence for WWFM.Org the Classical Network, Distler is the creator, host and producer of the 2017 ASCAP Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award radio program Between the Keys. He also hosts The Piano Maven, a friendly podcast guide to piano recordings, and will be a television commentator during the 19th International Chopin Competition in October 2025. Distler contributes reviews and articles to Gramophone and Classicstoday.com and has written numerous CD booklet notes for Sony/BMG and Universal Classics. 

Jed Distler fearlessly on top of the world with Thelonious Monk