Seventeen-time Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch will perform a solo piano concert on Tuesday, April 21, at UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall, with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting WUTC-FM 88.1.
Hersch is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz pianists of his generation, with a career spanning more than three decades as an improviser, bandleader, collaborator and educator.
He has received numerous international honors, including recognition as a Doris Duke Artist and multiple Jazz Pianist of the Year awards from the Jazz Journalists Association.
“When it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are currently two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else,” wrote Dan Bilawsky of All About Jazz.
With more than 50 albums to his credit as a leader or co-leader, Hersch has earned consistent critical acclaim for recordings and performances highlighting his expressive interpretation and inventive creativity. His 2024 release, “Silent, Listening,” was produced by Manfred Eicher for ECM Records, while earlier recordings with his long-standing trio—including the acclaimed “Live in Europe”—have been recognized among the most significant jazz releases of their era.
In addition to his performing career, Hersch is the author of the memoir “Good Things Happen Slowly,” which chronicles his life in music. “Good Things Happen Slowly” was named one of the best memoirs of 2017 by The Washington Post and The New York Times.
As a composer, he has created works such as “Leaves of Grass”—a large-scale setting of Walt Whitman’s poetry—and the multimedia project “My Coma Dreams.”
Listeners can also hear more from Hersch ahead of the performance in an interview with Ken Dryden, airing on WUTC’s Timeless Jazz from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, offering insight into his life and music.
Hersch’s visit to UTC was made possible by a gift from Ken and Nancy Dryden.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance can be purchased online at utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/fine-arts-center and through the UTC Fine Arts Center Box Office—in person or by phone at 423-425-4269. VIP seating in the lower center sections is $38, including service fees; all other adult tickets are $28, and student tickets are $18 with a valid student ID.
The UTC Fine Arts Center is located at the intersection of Dr. Roland Carter Street (formerly known as Vine Street) and Palmetto Street on the UTC campus. Parking is available in the adjacent Lupton Hall Parking Garage (700 Vine St.) and is free beginning at 5 p.m.
For more information, visit wutc.org.