Aaron Diehl

Pianist Aaron Diehl has quietly redefined the boundary between jazz and classical music, building an international career distinguished by stylistic fluency, intellectual rigor, and a deep sense of musical lineage. He has worked extensively with figures such as Tyshawn Sorey, Timo Andres, Philip Glass, and Cécile McLorin Salvant, forging projects that span concertos, chamber music, orchestral works, and jazz performance. In 2023, Diehl was named artistic director of 92NY’s Jazz in July Festival, succeeding the legendary Bill Charlap.

A leader in contemporary jazz, Diehl has headlined the Monterey, Detroit, and Newport jazz festivals, and held residencies at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Village Vanguard, and SF Jazz, among others. In the classical realm, Diehl has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras including The Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, working with conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Marin Alsop, Alan Gilbert, Teddy Abrams, and John Adams.

In recent seasons, Diehl has appeared in a wide range of boundary-crossing projects, including a performance of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians with the Bang on a Can All Stars, premiering and touring Darcy James Argue’s A Banquet for the Birds with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and collaborating with The Knights on an arrangement of Keith Jarrett’s Book of Ways.

Diehl was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he grew up listening to his grandfather, pianist and trombonist Arthur Baskerville. His family nurtured Diehl’s musical talents from a young age, and in 2002, he competed in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Competition, placing as a finalist. It was there that he attracted the attention of Wynton Marsalis, who invited Diehl to join his septet for a European tour. After studying at Juilliard, Diehl was awarded the 2011 American Pianists Association’s Cole Porter Fellowship.

Diehl also inherited a lifelong love of flying from his father, who was an avid pilot, and holds commercial single and multi-engine pilot certifications. He has been a Steinway Artist since 2016.