Wallace, Eli

Primary Scene: Brooklyn, New York

Eli Wallace is a pianist, improviser, composer, and curator who resides in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving from Oakland, CA in 2015 he has established himself in the New York improvised and creative music scene, constantly seeking out improvisers with a similar predilection such as Daniel Carter, Ingrid Laubrock, Billy Mintz, Ches Smith, Trevor Dunn, Chris Pitsiokos, Andrew Smiley, Sandy Ewen, Carlo Costa, Sean Ali, Angela Morris, Brandon Lopez, Erika Dicker, and many others. His project Slideshow Junky utilizes numerous one-page pieces as a tool for improvisation and collaboration. He is also a member of the collective trio Cataclysmic Commentary, whose debut album Audience Participation was included in multiple “Best Albums of 2018” lists. And, he is one half of Rob Pumpelly’s duo Dialectical Imagination, whose third album was released by Leo Records. His work as a pianist displays his vast milieu of experiences from classical, jazz, and free improvisation studies, while incorporating contemporary piano performance practice to create a sound that is uniquely his own. As a composer, he’s written pieces for solo piano, chamber groups, jazz ensembles, vocal jazz ensembles, jazz big band, chamber orchestra, full studio orchestra, and received commissions from Contra Costa College JazzaNova, Lawrence University, and dancer Randee Paufve. His musical education was granted by Lawrence University, Appleton WI, and New England Conservatory, Boston, MA, where he completed a Bachelor’s of Music, and a Master’s of Music, respectively.