Shai Maestro
Piano, Electric Piano
About
Shai Maestro is an Israeli jazz pianist and composer who has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz. He first gained international attention as the pianist in Avishai Cohen's trio from 2006 to 2011, co-writing the celebrated album Gently Disturbed for Blue Note Records. In 2010, he formed his own trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Ziv Ravitz, releasing six albums that earned critical acclaim from DownBeat, NPR, and The Guardian. His 2018 ECM debut The Dream Thief, produced by Manfred Eicher, was hailed as "sublime" by DownBeat, followed by the quartet album Human in 2021 with trumpeter Philip Dizack. In 2022, he premiered his orchestral work Alice with the Orquestra Câmara Portuguesa. His 2025 solo piano debut, Solo: Miniatures and Tales, was released on the Naïve label. He has also composed scores for film and documentary projects.
Trivia
As a young man, Maestro considered moving to India to study Indian percussion. He has practiced yoga and meditation for many years, disciplines that inform his philosophy of "not trying" in musical performance. His 2018 album The Dream Thief includes a sample of former President Barack Obama's speech on gun control. He composes by singing melodies into his phone while walking, believing that the physical limitations of the voice produce more honest notes than the piano alone. He calls his quality control the "Grandma Rule" — every composition must have a thread his grandmother could follow.
Early Life
Shai Maestro was born on February 5, 1987, and grew up in a small village in Israel. He began studying classical piano at age five under Irena Krivatz and discovered jazz at eight through Oscar Peterson's recording of The Gershwin Songbook. He attended the Thelma Yellin High School of Performing Arts in Givataim, where he graduated with honors, studying simultaneously in both the jazz and classical departments under jazz educator Opher Brayer and classical pianist Benjamin Oren. He won the Jazz Signs National Jazz Ensembles Competition in 2002 and 2003. At sixteen, he attended Berklee College of Music's Summer Performance Program and earned a full scholarship, which he declined to finish high school in Israel. Shortly after, bassist Avishai Cohen invited him to join his trio, launching a five-year apprenticeship that took him to stages worldwide.
Shai Maestro Solos
2024
Piano solo - Bag of Bones - 2024
E major at 179 BPM
Electric Piano solo - Just Friends - 2024
4/4 funk in G major at 168 BPM
Piano solo - I Wish - 2024
4/4 straight in G major at 148 BPM
Piano solo - Frenzy - 2024
5/4 straight in E minor at 201 BPM
Piano solo - It Could Happen To You - 2024
4/4 swing in F major at 201 BPM
Piano solo - Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most - 2024
4/4 ballad in C major at 57 BPM
2015
Piano solo - Someday My Prince Will Come - 2015
6/8 waltz in B♭ major at 235 BPM
Piano solo - In Walked Bud - 2015
4/4 swing in A♭ major at 92 BPM