26 Facts About Fred Hersch

Fred Hersch was born on October 21,1955 and is an American jazz pianist, composer, and a 17-time Grammy nominee.

Fred Hersch was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City.

Fred Hersch has recorded more than 75 of his jazz compositions.

Fred Hersch began playing the piano at age four, under the tutelage of Jeanne Kirstein.

Fred Hersch began composing music at eight, and won national piano competitions starting at the age of ten.

Fred Hersch dropped out of school and started playing jazz in Cincinnati.

Fred Hersch continued his studies at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, attracting attention from the press in a college recital.

In 1980, the Fred Hersch Trio played at B Dalton Bookseller, one of many fringe events that were an offshoot of the Newport Jazz Festival.

In 1983, Fred Hersch played a duo session with bassist Ratzo Harris at the Knickerbocker Saloon, New York.

Fred Hersch is openly involved in what he is playing and projects this involvement with body English and facial expressions that subtly underline the sense of his music.

Fred Hersch played with him in several sessions the following year, and again in 1987, receiving special attention for his solos.

Fred Hersch was the pianist for the Eddie Daniels quartet in 1987 and appeared on his album, To Bird with Love.

In 1988, Fred Hersch played in Somerville, Massachusetts with his quintet at the Willow Jazz Club.

In 1989, Fred Hersch played with Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and they recorded together in a studio set up in his home.

In 2024, Fred Hersch played with Drew Gress and Joey Baron at the Teatro Mario Del Monaco, in Treviso, in North East of Italy.

Fred Hersch has received commissions from the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Gramercy Trio and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

Many of Fred Hersch's compositions have been transcribed by music publisher Edition Peters, including Valentine, Three Character Studies, Saloon Songs, and 24 Variations on a Bach Chorale.

Fred Hersch was awarded a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition.

Fred Hersch has worked with instrumentalists and vocalists in the worlds of jazz, classical music, and Broadway.

Fred Hersch has accompanied jazz vocalists such as Nancy King, Norma Winstone and Kurt Elling.

Fred Hersch has taught at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, and conducted a Professional Training Workshop for Young Musicians at The Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall in 2008.

Fred Hersch is one of the Grammy artists with the most nominations without a win.

In 1993, Fred Hersch came out as gay and that he had been treated for HIV since 1984.

Fred Hersch fell into a coma in 2008 for two months.

Fred Hersch has been a spokesman and fund-raiser for AIDS services and education agencies since 1993.

Fred Hersch has been a keynote speaker and performer at international medical conferences.