Jazz pianist and keyboardist Ken Fischer has been an educator as well as a performer throughout his music career. He graduated from the Hartt School with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Music Education. He studied jazz and classical piano with Dr. Charles Gigliotti and performed in the Hartt Big Band under the direction of Alexander Lepak. Other mentors at Hartt included Ed Diementi, Joseph Iadone, Jackie McClean and visiting lecturer Walter Bishop Jr.
Upon graduating, Ken worked as a freelance pianist and jazz piano teacher. He performed in a wide variety of musical environments in and around Connecticut. This included musical theater (The Coachlight Dinner Theater), jazz groups (Big Science), society (Paul Landerman Orchestra), and numerous other ensembles.
Among the diverse artists he has performed are: saxophonist Bill Holloman, soul singer Betty Wright,Edgar Winter’s bass guitarist George Sheck, Chapman Stick player Brett Bottomley, Frank Zappa percussionist Ed Mann and the Brubeck Brothers along with Dave Brubeck.
Ken worked at the Creative Music studios in Wethersfield CT where he taught private lessons and jazz ensembles. He then spent 26 years on the faculty of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts where he taught theory, jazz ensemble and piano class. Currently Ken divides his time teaching at Simsbury High School, the Loomis Chaffee School, and Central Connecticut State University.
Ken currently performs with the Other Orchestra, Charter Oak Jazz and the Norman Johnson group and can be heard on this group’s recordings “If Time Stood Still” and “Get It While You Can” on the Pacific Coast Jazz label.
My role in working with students is to give them the skills to better express themselves in a musical environment whether it is playing in an ensemble or solo. Every student enters the room with a different background and a desire to study music. I look forward to helping students realize their unique potential. With each lesson students should look forward to learning how they can be successful on their instrument through a guided methodical approach.