Shai Maestro

Shai Maestro (born February 5, 1987) is an Israeli jazz pianist.

Biography
Israeli jazz pianist Shai Maestro, born on February 5, 1987, commenced his musical journey at the age of five, initially exploring classical piano. He graduated from the Thelma Yellin High School of Performing Arts in Givataim, Israel. Notably, he clinched victories at the National Jazz Ensembles Competition Jazz Signs in 2002 and 2003 and received scholarships (2004 to 2010) from the America-Israel Cultural Fund for jazz piano.

While attending the Berklee College of Music's Five-Week Summer Performance Program in Boston, Shai Maestro earned a scholarship but opted not to pursue the subsequent offer to attend Berklee. Shortly thereafter, bassist Avishai Cohen invited him to join his trio alongside drummer Mark Guiliana. Maestro contributed to four albums with the Avishai Cohen Trio, including two for Blue Note: "Gently Disturbed" (2008), "Sensitive Hours" (2008), "Aurora" (2009), and "Seven Seas" (2011), touring with the trio during this period.

In July 2010, Shai Maestro took the lead forming his own trio and recorded "Shai Maestro Trio" for the French label Laborie Jazz. The trio subsequently toured globally, averaging 80 concerts annually and sharing stages with notable groups led by Chick Corea, Tigran Hamasyan, Esperanza Spalding, and Diana Krall. In 2012, the trio released their second album, "The Road to Ithaca," through Laborie Jazz. This was succeeded by "Untold Stories" (2015) and "The Stone Skipper" (2016). These albums received acclaim from DownBeat magazine, The Guardian, NPR, and WBGO's The Checkout.

Maestro recorded "The Dream Thief" (ECM) in April 2018, featuring Ofri Nehemya on drums and Jorge Roeder on bass. The recording took place at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI and was produced by Manfred Eicher. Apart from his trio work, Maestro contributed to an album with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. In 2021, Maestro released the well-received album "Human" (ECM). All About Jazz gave it a favorable review, noting the camaraderie present in the album. Collaborating with trumpeter Philip Dizack, Jorge Roeder, and Ofri Nehemya, Maestro continued to showcase his musical exploration and innovation.

He has actively toured with his own compositions, but also served as a sideman alongside notable musicians like sax player Ben Wendel and drummer Mark Guiliana, and engaged in collaborations with various artists, including vocalist Michael Mayo. His presence resonates in diverse venues and major jazz festivals worldwide, such as Jarasum Jazz in Korea, Bimhuis or North Sea Jazz in The Netherlands and Winter Jazz in New York City, USA.

As sideman

 * Gently Disturbed – Avishai Cohen (2008)
 * Aurora – Avishai Cohen (2009)
 * Seven Seas – Avishai Cohen (2011)
 * Like a Great River – Oded Tzur (2015)
 * Traces – Camila Meza (2016)
 * Elegy – Theo Bleckmann (2017)
 * True Listener – Bálint Gyémánt (2017)
 * Translator's Note – Oded Tzur (2017)
 * Roads Diverge – Noam Wiesenberg (2018)
 * NY Standard – Ari Hoenig (2018)
 * High Heart – Ben Wendel (2020)