Romain C.

Romain Collin is a Grammy-nominated pianist who has been praised by NPR as a “visionary composer” and hailed by the Boston Globe as one of the “leading lights of a new breed of jazz players.” The NY-based, French-American musician has developed “a highly personal and contemporary vision” (A Blog Supreme, NPR), a style “unique and engaging without obvious influences” (All About Jazz) that seamlessly blends contemporary jazz, classical music, sound design and film scoring.

Collin started his music studies in France at the Biot Music Conservatory. He later attended Berklee College of Music (’04), where he majored in Music Synthesis. He graduated from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in 2007, where he held a Full Scholarship as the pianist of an ensemble handpicked by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. During this time, he studied with the likes of Larry Goldings, Russell Ferrante, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Mulgrew Miller, and Wynton Marsalis.

Collin’s debut album as a leader, The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn (Fresh Sound, 2009), was hailed as “an astonishingly mature and ambitious debut that secures Collin a placeholder in the continuing evolution of the grand tradition of the piano trio” by All About Jazz.

In 2012, Collin released The Calling (Palmetto), which was described as “a tour de force that showcases Collin’s strengths as an accomplished composer and virtuoso pianist of the highest order” by JazzEd Magazine, and as “a work of art that is worthy of being held onto for generations to come” (Eric Sandler, The Revivalist). His third release, Press Enter (ACT, 2015), was described by the New York Times as a “winning new album,” and hailed by Jazz journal, UK as an “absolute masterpiece”. Collin’s latest solo release, Tiny Lights… (XM, 2019), has been celebrated as “a unique voice, a crystal clear vision” by UK VIBE. Collin has composed numerous film scores and co-leads several critically acclaimed projects- among them a group with guitarist Bill Frisell, which released Americana (ACT, 2019) and earned a Grammy® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

Romain has taught music for twenty years, ranging from jazz piano to high-school students in underprivileged Los Angeles neighborhoods as part of his Masters curriculum, to teaching jazz basics to young children at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s WeBop program. Collin regularly works as a substitute teacher at the New School of Music (NYC), and gives masterclasses in conservatories worldwide while on tour.

His teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that every student comes with a deeply personal and unique set of aspirations and natural abilities. Much like while making music, Romain wants to listen first, in order to better understand the need of each student. His goal is to foster self-worth and self-confidence through artistic self- expression. Music should be fun and personal, and Romain believes in a bespoke teaching style that best accommodates the unique personality of his students.