Shai Maestro

Shai Maestro (1987) is one of the most talented and influential pianists of his generation. Since his debut with his own trio in 2011, he has impressed the world with his flowing, harmonious and meditative sound. After four years, he returns to LantarenVenster with the music from his new solo live album, Miniatures & Tales, which will be released in May 2025 by Naive Records.

With this album, a long-cherished dream of his comes true. And according to Shai, this is just the beginning of a series of solo recordings. The album explores two different musical landscapes, based on the idea of contrast. The Miniatures consist of clear, precise phrases that create a sense of clarity and focus, while the Tales embrace a raw, introspective depth and unfold patiently and with nuance.

Shai started playing classical piano at the age of five. When he heard Oscar Peterson at the age of eight, he became addicted to jazz. In his work, he mixes jazz with influences from Eastern music, including his native Israel. Until 2011, he was the regular pianist of bassist Avishai Cohen. He previously released The Dream Thief (2018) and Human (2021) on ECM Records. His atmospheric and expressive playing is reflected on all his albums.