Billy Childs

An immensely gifted jazz pianist, arranger, and composer, Billy Childs has distinguished himself as both a post-bop improvisor and sought-after musical director. One of the most promising pianists to emerge in the 1980s, Childs' aesthetic synthesizes modern jazz, soul, pop, chamber, choral, orchestral, and neo-classical music. A true technician with a light but indelible touch, he has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Freddie Hubbard, Chris Botti, and Dianne Reeves, among others. Along with top-shelf classical commissions, Childs has garnered accolades including a 2013 Doris Duke Award, a 2015 American Academy of Arts and Letters Composer Award, and Grammys for 2014's Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro (a star-studded date with Yo-Yo Ma, Wayne Shorter, Alison Krauss, and more) and 2017's small-group Rebirth. In 2023, he formed an all-star group with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade for the Grammy-winning Winds of Change.