Zoe Rahman

Rahman was born in Chichester, West Sussex, England to a Bengali father and an English-Irish mother. She studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, a music degree at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford, and won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she had lessons with pianist JoAnne Brackeen.

Described in The Observer as “a remarkable pianist by any standard”, Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, British/Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician, working with the likes of George Mraz, Courtney Pine and Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra.

Recording and performances

In 2001, her debut album The Cynic was released. In July 2006, her second album Melting Pot was released. Melting Pot was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize Album of the Year and won Jazz Album of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2006. In September 2008, her third album Where Rivers Meet was released. In May 2009, her fourth album Zoe Rahman Trio: Live was released. In January 2012, her fifth album Kindred Spirits was released. Kindred Spirits won the Best Jazz Act award at the 2012 MOBO Awards. Her sixth album Dreamland was released in 2016.

Rahman was sought out by music producer Paul Vlcek to play with George Mraz and in July 2013, their album Unison was released.

Rahman has been a featured artist on numerous TV and radio programmes and is frequently invited to sit on high-profile panels – most notably, the Mercury Music Prize, BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Nottingham International Jazz Piano competition. She shares her passion for music through teaching in a variety of contexts, inspiring musicians of all ages and abilities. From 2013-14 she was Artist in Residence with youth big band “Jazz Vehicle” in Lincoln.

Other albums/DVDs include: Courtney Pine's Song (The Ballad Book) and Europa; George Mraz Unsion; Reem Kelani's Sprinting Gazelle; Clark Tracey Quintet's The Calling and The Mighty Sa; Tony Bianco's In A Western Sense; Gary Boyle's Games; Soothsayers' Tangled Roots; Terry Hall/Mushtaq's The Hour of Two Lights; Keziah Jones's Live at the Élysée Montmartre DVD.

Tours

Zoe has been invited to play at many international jazz festivals and has worked extensively throughout the UK and internationally, including performances in USA, Japan, Australia, North Sea Jazz Festival, Kuwait, Sweden, Algeria, Norway, Italy, France, Barbados, Romania, Hungary, Ireland, Algeria, Estonia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.

Rahman has been described in The Observer as "one of the finest young pianists in Europe" and "a remarkable pianist by any standard".

Albums