In addition to a thriving performance career as a mainstay pianist both in New York jazz clubs and in concert halls with today’s leading Broadway stars, Addison Frei’s compositions span more than a dozen albums and continue to receive acclaim from audiences worldwide. Highlighted by inventive pianism and dynamic melodies, Frei demonstrates a fluidity in writing for instrumental ensembles and favorite vocal collaborators alike. Frei’s most recent trio recordings Coin Flip (2024) and Time and Again (2022) enjoyed several months on the JazzWeek radio charts. His chamber work for string quartet and piano trio “Comment On War” was awarded the David Baker Bridges Prize and premiered at the Ravinia Festival.
A proud Yamaha Artist, Frei tours regularly with Broadway stars Renée Elise Goldsberry and Joshua Henry, including dates at the Hollywood Bowl and Kennedy Center. Other solo performance highlights include the Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival and Lucerne Piano Festival. Frei is a graduate of the Juilliard School’s Artist Diploma program and served as musical director for this flagship ensemble’s stint at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai. As a side-person Frei has recorded more than 30 albums. He has earned first prize in several competitions including the UNISA Jazz Piano Competition in Pretoria, ZA, the American Jazz Pianist Competition and the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition.