QUENTIN WALSTON
PIANIST, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR
Quentin Walston is an active pianist, composer, and music educator active in the Mid-Altantic region. He performs with his jazz trio and as a solo pianist, blending memorable melodies and striking rhythms with adventurous improvisations. His original music has been featured on NPR, PBS, and multiple radio stations and podcasts. He is a Maryland State Arts Council "Touring Artist" and Virginia Commission for the Arts “Teaching Artist” with a Jazz Studies degree from James Madison University and has over a decade of professional teaching and performing experience. As a music and jazz educator, Quentin spreads the joy of learning and playing music to individuals of all ages.
Quentin Walston released his first jazz EP, “Introduction”, in 2017. This debut recording of jazz standards, performed solo and trio, displayed his arranging and improvisation style. In 2021, Quentin released "The Good Book Suite", composed entirely for his trio. Inspired by his faith, the suite covers a huge musical landscape. Wonderful builds and interplay between the trio are found in the biggest and boldest moments to the most quietly intimate passages.
Quentin Walston is thrilled to have just released his newest album! In Quentin Walston’s piano trio album “Retro Future”, (a title based on space-age artwork of the 1950s) he imagines a jazz of the future, from a past perspective. Taking inspiration from the playfulness and dissonances of Thelonious Monk, to the futuristic and “out” approaches of the Bad Plus, Quentin’s jazz trio album, “Retro Future”, delivers a collection of new compositions and favorites. “Retro Future” is out now and available on vinyl, CD, or streaming!
In 2024 Quentin Walston founded This Is Jazz, a company dedicated to jazz appreciation and education. This Is Jazz was founded with a clear vision: to share the magic of jazz with everyone, regardless of their musical background. What started as a passion for jazz education has grown into a comprehensive platform offering courses, live events, and teaching resources that reach music lovers worldwide. Included in that is his book "Jazz Piano Like a Pro" which helps pianists play jazz and improvise in an authentic way modeled after the legends of the genre, and "How to Teach Jazz & Improvisation" which helps teachers of all backgrounds bring jazz into lessons and classrooms across the country.
Click HERE for Quentin's PRESS KIT.