Upcoming Events Schedule Print

NEW! Matthew Whitaker at the MIM
Performance of the Month

Born in 2001, Matthew Whittaker’s love for playing music began at age 3, after his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard. At age 9, Matthew began teaching himself how to play the Hammond B3 organ. Four years later, he became the youngest artist to be endorsed by Hammond in that company's 80+ year history. He was also named a Yamaha Artist at age 15, becoming the youngest musician to join the stellar group of jazz pianists.

Matthew went on to win 1st Place on Fox TV’s revival of Showtime at the Apollo in 2016; and in 2019 and 2020, he was the winner of the ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award. Matthew has appeared on the Today Show documentary series "Boys Changing the World," Harry Connick Jr Show, Ellen, and 60 Minutes.

Since then, he's toured both in the US and abroad, performing on prestigious stages around the country including Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts, SF Jazz Center, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Newport Jazz Festival.

In this energetic performance, join this rising jazz and R&B sensation as he and his band serve up a variety of popular tunes and original compositions.

This performance was originally recorded at Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ.

Dominic Cheli
Performance of the Month

Enjoy masterful performances by this outstanding Yamaha Artist! Dominic gave his Carnegie Hall Recital Debut in 2019 and has had a busy performing and recording career ever since. He recorded his 2nd CD on the Naxos label of the music of Liszt/Schubert, and was a performer/producer/editor on a 3rd CD of the music of Erwin Schulhoff for the Delos Label featuring his collaboration on Piano Concerto no.2 with Maestro James Conlon. He also recently completed work as a composer, audio editor and performer on the documentary Defying Gravity (2021).

Emmet Cohen at the MIM
Performance of the Month

Enjoy Yamaha artist, Emmet Cohen, performing at the Musical Instrument Museum with his trio featuring Yasushi Nakamura (bass), Kyle Poole (drums), and Benny Benack III (trumpet).

Multifaceted jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal musicians. The leader of his eponymous trio and the creator of the Masters Legacy Series, a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring legendary jazz musicians, Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist, a dedicated educator, and the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards. He was also a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition.

Cohen has performed at venues and festivals in more than 30 countries. His entrepreneurial energies led to Live from Emmet’s Place, a live-streamed “Harlem rent party” that unites an audience of tens of millions of viewers worldwide. Cohen has released 10 albums as leader and has performed or recorded with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Christian McBride, and Kurt Elling.

Brian Simpson
Performance of the Month

Inspired keyboardist, composer, prolific studio musician, and producer, Brian Simpson is a master of all he purveys. His eloquent approach to playing, sophisticated harmonics sense, bluesy overtones, R&B flavor, and keen sense on how to craft a song that stands the test of time have made him the go-to man for many.

Through the years, Simpson has been revered for his unparalleled ability to compose unforgettable melodies and irresistible grooves. Simpson's breakthrough as a solo artist began in 2005 with the #1 radio hit "It's All Good." The title track of It's All Good proved instantly and joyfully prophetic, as it hit #1 on the Radio & Records Smooth Jazz Airplay chart and remained in the Top 5 for four months. His follow-up single "Saturday Cool" went Top 15.

He has toured with some of the greats of recent jazz history, including George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, George Howard, Billy Cobham, and Gerald Albright. Brian has been the musical director for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz for nearly 20 years, and almost a decade the Musical Director of the ambitious and highly popular Smooth Jazz Cruise.