For more than three decades, Eric Zadan has been well known to the region as a pianist and jazz educator. Although known primarily as a jazz pianist who has led several groups and performed with some of the industry’s top names, Eric’s performance credits also include many national tours of Broadway Shows, extensive recording work, orchestral work, and performances in a wide variety of other commercial music idioms.

Partial List of Concert Performances

Mel Torme – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention Center)
Henry Mancini – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention Center)
Ken Peplowski – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Schuster Center)
Steve Lippia – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Schuster Center)
Hilary Kole – Club Concert (Gilly’s)
Mark O’Connor – Dayton Philharmonic SummerPops (Fraze Pavilion)
Marvin Hamlisch – Dayton Philharmonic SummerPops (Fraze Pavilion)
Monica Mancini – Springfield Symphony (Kuss Auditorium)
Moody Blues – (Ervin J. Nutter Center)
Tommy Tune – (Kuss Auditorium & Dayton Convention Center)
Roy Clark – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention Center)
Several Bogie Busters Galas – Dayton Philharmonic (Dayton Convention Center & Victoria Theatre)
Prelude to a Kiss – Improvised Underscoring for a Human Race Theater Production (Loft Theater)
Tchaikovsky and Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite – Dayton Philharmonic (Dayton Convention Center)

Partial List of Performances as a Leader

Eric Zadan (Leading Quartets, Quintets and Big Bands) – Many appearances since 1979 (Gilly’s)
Zadan, Saxa, Freelove & Wolf – (Pacchia – Saturday Nights, October 9, 1999 thru July 29, 2000)
Eric Zadan Duo, Trio or Quartet – Countless events, public & private, from 1980 to the present

Partial List of Broadway Shows Performances

Evita – National Tour (Victoria Theater)
The Producers – National Tour starring Nathan Lane (Schuster Center)
White Christmas – National Tour (Schuster Center)
A Chorus Line – National Tour (Victoria Theater & Ervin J. Nutter Center)
Will Roger’s Follies starring Mac Davis – National Tour (Memorial Hall)
Crazy for You – National Tour (Victoria Theater)
Fiddler on the Roof – National Tour starring Topol (Victoria Theater)
Peter Pan – National Tour starring Cathy Rigby Cathy Rigby (Kuss Auditorium, Springfield)
South Pacific – Kenley Production starring Robert Goulet (Memorial Hall)
West Side Story – Human Race Theater Production (Victoria Theater)

Partial List of Presented Clinics/Performances

Wright State University
Sinclair Community College
University of Dayton
Northmont High School
Lebanon High School
Carroll High School
Chaminade-Julienne High School
Beavercreek High School
Meadowdale High School
Middletown High School

Biography

Eric began musical study in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1963 at the age of four. After relocating to Dayton, Ohio, he became a piano student of Audley Wasson, a preeminent pianist, teacher and former student of Swiss concert pianist Rudolph Ganz.

After performing twice as a concerto soloist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra while in high school, Eric entered the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in 1977 on a classical piano scholarship. His studies there were guided by Richard Morris (piano), Frank Brown (jazz studies) and Frank Vincent (jazz piano).

Audley Wasson

Richard Morris

While still a junior at CCM, Eric developed and presented a 5-week, summer jazz program for Dayton area high school students in 1979 and repeated the program in 1980. From 1977 until 1982, Eric led a jazz big band, Dynasty, which recorded a record in 1979 and performed weekly at Gilly’s in 1980 and 1981. Eric also began a second big band, Dynasty Jr., as an educational vehicle for high school and college students.

After becoming a full-time musician in 1980, Eric continued to expand the scope and depth of his musical and professional skills. In the early years, notable engagements included the Colony Club (house pianist) and Suttmiller’s (music director) in Dayton and the exclusive Innisbrook Resort (music director) in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

5th Avenue (from the stage)		5th Avenue (facing the stage)

Since 1989, Eric Zadan has focused almost exclusively on jazz education. While primarily known for working with advanced jazz students, Eric has also enjoyed working with jazz students representing a wide variety of skill levels. Through the development and continued growth of the Jazz Arts Studio, Eric has been able to enjoy his lifelong love of jazz education on a daily basis, while still occasionally performing and recording.

Along the way, he has provided many gigs to his professional level students by booking jazz duos at the Racquet Club (2 years), jazz trios at Therapy Café (2½ years) and hundreds of other engagements at regional venues for jazz trios and quartets.

Hear and view performances by Eric Zadan.