Biography
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Born
27 August 1978 (age 45)
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Born In
Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu has been dubbed "a dazzling piano player" by Herbie Hancock.
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, "Kristjan Randalu establishes himself as part of an elite group of specifically European jazz musicians."
The son of two classical pianists, Kristjan was exposed to music from an early age, and he continued his studies in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Cologne, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
In 2003, he moved to New York City and completed his education at the Manhattan School of Music, earning a Masters of Music Degree.
Additionally, Randalu attended The Henry Mancini Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (2005 and 2006), where he performed on the two-time Grammy nominated Concord Jazz album "Elevation".
As a featured soloist and composer, Kristjan has performed in classical, jazz, and cross-over projects with the National Symphony Orchestra of Estonia, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the New Chamber Orchestra of Berlin in Europe, Israel, Turkey, Canada, and USA. He has worked with Alex Acuna, Jay Anderson, Joel Frahm, Dieter Ilg, Quincy Jones, David Liebman, Lage Lund, Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer, Mike Moreno, Dick Oatts, Gerard Presencer, Claudio Puntin, the Modern String Quartet, Dennis Russell Davies, and Maria Schneider.
In 2007 Randalu received the Jazz Award of Baden-Wuerttemberg, one of the most notable Jazz awards in Germany.
An official Steinway artist, he currently splits his time between Germany, Estonia, and New York City, where he has performed at such venues as The 55 Bar, The Jazz Gallery, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.
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