MUSIC + MINDS
2026 Events now booked
2025 artists
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Fireside Chats
Private event with Ambassador Standley returned to discuss what’s ahead for US - eu relations | More on the event here
Sat. Jan 10th, 2026 @ 4:00 PM
upcoming Music
A Private event with Jack West and Walter Straus
Album release Celebration ‘Guitars on Life’
DECEMBER 20TH @ 4 PM
DECEMBER 20TH @ 4:00 PM
A prolific musician, composer, and bandleader, Jack West is a singular guitarist with an immediately recognizable sound. His early career saw the release of six albums that received widespread critical acclaim, and included steady performances at leading festivals and venues, including SXSW, Atlanta Jazz Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and The Freight in Berkeley. In parallel with his music career, West is also an inventor and has patented various new musical instruments and solar technologies, pursuits that have borne impressive fruit. Jack has recently ramped up his musical output with multiple projects, including two new albums and supporting tour dates in early 2026.
In Strauss, West has found an ideal interlocutor. Over the past three decades, Walter has collaborated with a dazzling constellation of musicians, including renegade multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven, Scottish fiddler Jonnie Hardy (of Old Blind Dogs), Cuban violinist and songwriter Tanmy López Moreno, and edgy jazz cellist Hank Roberts. But he’s probably best known for his extensive work with West African artists, particularly kora master Sidiki
Diabaté and ngoni innovator Mamadou Sidibe (who both hail from Mali).
The new Guitars On Life LP finds West simultaneously playing bass,
chords, and percussion lines — he’s a one-man rhythm section with a preternatural gift for making the most intricate passages tumble and flow with graceful precision. And Strauss weaves expertly filigreed melodies that alternately careen around and caress West’s buoyant foundation.
Bass Phenom
Mohini Dey Quartet
TICKETS Now ON SALE - March 8th, 2026 - This show will sell out!
The only female in the
top ten most important Bass players of the 21st Century
Sun. March. 8th | 7:30 PM
Mohini Dey is a renowned bass guitarist, arranger, producer & vocalist who has gained international recognition for her extraordinary talent and versatility. With her unique style and impeccable technique, she has collaborated with numerous renowned artists and performed on prestigious stages around the world. She is a 27-year-old bass guitarist from Mumbai, India.
She has been described as the “Most Successful Musician UNDER30” By ForbesIndia. She has been working professionally in the music industry for the past 18 years meaning that she started working professionally when she was only 9 years old. She is the only female bassist to rank within the 'Top 10 Bassists in the 21st Century' on Music Radar. She has over 20 million views collectively on YouTube, 406k followers on Instagram and 183K subscribers on YouTube & 201K followers on Facebook. She is currently the bassist for Willow Smith. She has worked with artists like Steve Vai, Zakir Hussain, Quincy Jones, Vinnie Colauita, Stanley Clarke, Jordan Rudess, Mike Stern, Dean Brown, A R Rahman, Sivamani, Marco Minneman, Gary Willis, Dave Weckl, Tony Macalpine, Stu Hamm, Plini, Louiz Banks, Guthrie Govan, Ranjit Barot, Chad Wackerman, Chad Smith, Simon Phillips, Prasanna, Gergo Borlai, Victor Wooten, Federico Malaman, Darwin, Niladri Kumar, Stu Hamm, Sivamani, Bumblefoot, etc many more artists. Some Indian singers & directors that she has worked with are Salim Sulaiman, Clinton Cerejo, Neeti Mohan, Amit Trivedi, Benny Dayal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, Shalmali Kholgade, Sonu Kakkar, Shilpa Rao, Vishal-Shekar, Gurdasman, etc She has also been featured in magazines like Vogue, ForbesIndiaUnder30, NoTreble, RadarMusic, Bass Professor, Bass Magazine, BassQuaterly, Rollingstone, JazzInIndia, ParentCircle, RadioAndMusic, Platform, Femina, Hindu, NewIndianExpress, Verve and many other articles in newspapers like DNA, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Mid-Day, Mumbai Mirror, The Times of India, Bombay Times, etc. She has played on the Jimmy Fallon Show & Tiny Desk NPR with Willow Smith.
Mohini will be joined by:
Marco Cirigliano: Drums/Voc
Daniel Szebenyi: Keys
Jonathan Mones: Sax
Get to know the artist
Rick Beato’s 2025 interview. Discover Mohini’s fascinating life and musical process.
Tord Gustavsen Trio
A rare opportunity for a private evening with Tord Gustavsen trio
Sunday March 22, 2026
7:30 PM - space is limited
Tord Gustavsen. “A Norwegian pianist of lyrical and often halcyon sensibilities” (NY Times), Gustavsen and his trio bring a stripped-down approach in which beauty and emotional intensity are united. His new ECM release, Opening, explores the concept of openness and taking inspiration from the forces that surround us.
A pianist of poetic cast, an exceptionally lucid player with a sure sense of melodic structure and an often-astonishing lyrical imagination. - JazzTimes
Cool and mysterious, pristine and intensely emotional, the music of Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has earned a vast following while making few populist concessions. Easily the most acclaimed composer and pianist on the Norwegian jazz scene, he’s released a series of critically hailed albums that have climbed high on the Norwegian pop charts, starting with his 2003’s ECM debut Changing Places.
TORD GUSTAVSEN | Piano and Electronics
STEINAR RAKNES | Bass and Electronics
JARLE VEPESTAD | Drums
With 1.7 listeners on Spotify across 182 countries is a testament to how his music speaks to a worldwide audience. Cool and mysterious, pristine and intensely emotional, the music of Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has earned a vast following while making few populist concessions. Easily the most acclaimed composer and pianist on the Norwegian jazz scene, he’s released a series of critically hailed albums that have climbed high on the Norwegian pop charts, starting with his 2003’s ECM debut Changing Places
With 1.7 listeners on Spotify across 182 countries is a testament to how his music speaks to a worldwide audience. Cool and mysterious, pristine and intensely emotional, the music of Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has earned a vast following while making few populist concessions. Easily the most acclaimed composer and pianist on the Norwegian jazz scene, he’s released a series of critically hailed albums that have climbed high on the Norwegian pop charts, starting with his 2003’s ECM debut Changing Places.
Piano Interlude Meditation - Tord Gustavsen
PAST ARTISTS
SERENE
Saturday, Sept 20th - Private Event
Add yourself to the Music and Minds email list at the top of this page to attend
Space is Limited
The Paris Review
“Serene's solo performances as a "spectacle to match the New York Philharmonic” — The Paris Review
“Watching Serene play is like watching Jackson Pollock paint; she lifts her hands high and strikes the keys with intention, producing an ordered and harmonious spattering of notes” —The Paris Review
Wired Magazine
Inside a Fusion Startup's Insane, Top-Secret Opening Ceremony
“The Higgs Boson of pianos, inspiring gravitational interactions.” — Wired
Bösendorfer Artist.SERENE returns to San Francisco, opening her 2025 Ravel Marathon Project to celebrate the composer's 150th anniversary. Involving some of the most infamously difficult pieces in all of the piano literature, along with some of the most profoundly beautiful - come enjoy an evening of Ravel masterpieces.
In a remarkably short time, Serene has not only established herself as a formidable creative force with an international following, but has also become a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of classical musicians and listeners, bridging gaps between the traditional and the cutting-edge.
Recently, SERENE presented her debut at the Vienna Konzerthaus with two piano concertos in one evening (Rachmaninoff + Scriabin). In addition to performing broad repertoire with notable orchestras, she enjoys collaborations across all genres, whether composition for Kanye West’s Opera, as premiered at Lincoln Center & at Art Basel; or bringing a music-tech EEG+AI performance with Grimes, or composing cyberpunk music for a VR Bladerunner exhibit at the Academy Museum, or her groundbreaking work programming and performing alongside robots at a fusion energy facility, Serene's artistic vision extends far beyond traditional boundaries.
Rachmaninoff's Artificial Intelligence
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For this rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Serene is wearing an EEG device measuring her brain activity during performance, specifically her auditory cortex, while processing this data through an AI model which renders custom reactive shaders overlayed with visual motifs aesthetically curated to the emotional journey of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto.
This was projected upon multiple screens and visible to all the audience;
There are many other elements as well, but the key element is the fact that the audio-visual element is synchronized by her brain. This had never been done before in live classical concert like this.
The Concert
Soloist: SERENE
Orchestra: Filharmonic Brasov
Conductor: Andrej Vesel
Live Visuals/VJ: Koto Murai
Robot Concert | Fuse Vault Opening
WIRED ARTICLE
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To celebrate the opening of a new fusion energy facility in the SF Bay Area by Fuse, SERENE presents a live performance merging past and future:
a piano concert with robot musicians, EMG / bio-feedback, and more...Concert: San Leandro 8/8
Serene often enjoys combining her background as a technologist / computer scientist into her concerts. Courtesy of Fuse, Serene was asked to present a unique performance for the "vault opening" of their new facility.
So here we have a one of a kind live performance; and the world's first piano concert with industrial robot arms.
Refactoring the classics with real sci-fi, bringing a Robot Orchestra to life, and more, in collaboration with Finis Musicae, with robot arms provided by UC Berkeley.
The program involved Ravel, Purcell, Liszt, Arvo Pärt, Ligeti, and a fully improvized session with exotic instruments for the finale with Jaron Lanier.
Collaborators & Special Guests
Finis Musicae
Jaron Lanier
Guest DJs
DJ_Dave
angelfire
Zsigmond Gerlóczy
Sound Room, Oakland
Contemporary Jazz Piano
aim at nothing
2025 release
Presented by Music and Minds, internationally acclaimed Hungarian pianist, composer, and educator Zsigmond Gerlóczy will make a rare appearance in California. Based in Budapest and praised for his innovative artistry, Gerlóczy is known for his compelling performances and pioneering work as both a soloist and collaborator. He is also an active educator, currently teaching piano, composition, and theory at Swarnabhoomi Music Academy in Chennai, India.
Famous for his creative projects, Gerlóczy was recently featured in an in-depth interview with well-known YouTube music influencer Rick Beato and has been recognized for his innovative approach by Music and Minds.org. His latest works include the albums Aim at Nothing (2025) and Future Sounds (2024), both of which are available on Spotify. Sponsored by Petrof Piano Manufacturers, he is currently working on a new vocal album featuring collaborations with artists such as Anomalie, Henrik Linder, and Sid Sriram, with additional guest musicians to be announced. While in California, Zsigmond Gerlóczy will also be collaborating with leading figures in the music industry.
“Zsigmond Gerlóczy is a remarkable and wildly creative pianist. In his playing I hear sophistication and irreverence, technical wizardry and poetic depth, and more than anything an abundance of joyous feeling. I’m only recently starting to become familiar with his music, but I look forward to hearing much more from him over the years to come.”
—Aaron Parks
“Gerlóczy has bursts of inspiration that are mind-boggling. He seems endlessly creative, and plays with an open heart.”
—Larry Goldings
Coming from Budapest, Hungary, the 29 years old pianist-composer, improviser Zsigmond Gerlóczy’s little counterpoint-pieces, improvisations and songs has attracted the attention of musicians such as Tigran Hamasyan, Jacob Collier and his all-time idol Keith Jarrett. He released his debut solo piano album Narrow Path at the end of 2023 which has been praised by many of the world's leading pianists and musicians, welcoming him to the forefront of the ever-renewing, ever-evolving jazz world, always open to new sounds and approaches.
In 2024, he wrote and recorded his debut album of songs, Future Sounds, an album of richly instrumentalized vocal, world music, Baroque and pop music that featured several Grammy-winning artists, including the producer Taylor Graves (Thundercat, Kimbra), pianist Ruslan Sirota, drummer Charles Haynes ( Lady Gaga, Kanye West), and the celebrated French guitarist Antoine Boyer.
Jazz phenom Jahari stampley trio returns to
Music and Minds
Following a year of sold-out shows in A-list Jazz venues in Japan, China and Europe, Jahari Stampley Trio returns to Music and Minds.org on the Inverness Ridge.
Yamaha Artist
Winner of Herbie Hancock Institute International competition
Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz
Honoree of Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bösendorfer prize for the international American Jazz Pianists Association Competition
a rare opportunity to hear selections from the upcoming album
about the artists
Jahari Stampley is a Chicago-born pianist who began playing the piano at the age of 14. Within two years of exploring the instrument, he began winning various competitions including Best High School Jazz Soloist Award and the National YoungArts Competition. By the age of 18 years old, he was recognized and followed by many world-renowned musicians including Yebba Smith, Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Cory Henry, Jacob Collier, Stanley Clarke, and Derrick Hodge, among others. Jahari has toured with Stanley Clarke and is featured on Derrick Hodge’s "Color of Noise" album.
Jahari has performed in venues such as Radio City Music Hall in NYC, The Met Philadelphia, Byline Bank Aragon in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in NY, San Francisco Jazz Center, and MANY others. He’s also headlined & performed solo piano tours in Berlin, Koethen & Magdeburg, Germany, Geneva, Switzerland, and Los Angeles, California. He’s conducted music workshops in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, and taught masterclasses in Spokane, Washington. Jahari is also the band leader & featured pianist playing the part of Bill Wither’s keyboardist in the feature film “Spinning Gold". Many of Jahari’s performances have garnered praise in various media outlets, articles & magazines throughout the world.
Jahari won first place in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition, 2023 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, 2023 Chicago Youth Symphony Alumni Award, the first non-classical musician to receive the honor; and awarded the 2023 Luminarts Fellowship for his debut album “ Still Listening.” Earlier in his life Jahari won the Bösendorfer prize for the international 2019 American Jazz Pianists Association Competition (for ages 18-25), the 2018 ASCAP Foundation Fran Morganstern Davis Scholarship, and the National Young Arts Foundation 2018 Young Arts Winner.
Alongside all of this, Jahari released his first Debut Album entitled “Still Listening” which rose to #1 on Apple iTunes in the first weeks of the Album’s release. The music on “Still Listening” has also been set in an orchestral arrangement for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Jahari Also designed and wrote the music for a music Education mobile game, "Piano Chronicles”. It is available as a mobile app for all mobile devices on Google Play Store and the Apple Store..
Jahari is joined by D-Erania Stampley, Jahari's mother, a Grammy-nominated musician in seven categories from Chicago IL. The 59th Grammy Awards Committee recognized D-Erania's "Language of the Heart" CD for seven ballot categories. "Language of the Heart successfully balances accessibility and imagination. D-Erania has created a work that has wide appeal without sacrificing originality, one with plenty of inspired artistry that is solidly mainstream. This record is a portent of a brilliant career for this promising and talented musician." - Chicago Jazz Magazine, Hrayr Attarian.
Jahari is also joined by Ofri Nehemya, has marked himself as one of the most prominent Israeli drummers in the global jazz scene, collaborating with world wide known artists including Avishai Cohen (bass), Ben Wendel, Shai Maestro, Omer Avital and many others.
Born in 1994 to a musical family, Nehemya's love for music began in at the age 3, when he picked up the drumsticks.
A few years after graduating Thelma-Yellin High School for the Arts, Nehemya moved to New-York City, his current base, continuing his musical journey.
Nehemya's drumming is unique, exciting and uplifting, mixing together his Middle Eastern roots with Fusion and Jazz music influences.
