BIO

         Sterling Cozza is a pianist originally from Sacramento, California. He has been playing piano since he was 5 years old, and began studying jazz at age 12. During his formative years in Sacramento, he honed his skills gigging regularly and performing at events abroad such as the Essentially Ellington Festival at Lincoln Center, the Charles Mingus Festival at the Manhattan School of Music, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and more. He began his private study with Joseph Gilman, the previous artistic director of the Brubeck Institute at University of the Pacific. He also took part in the SFJazz High School All Stars program for three years under the direction of Mike McMullen and performed with members of the SFJazz Collective.

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         Sterling went on to study at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Harold Danko, Bill Dobbins, and Gary Versace. In 2017, he had the honor of taking part in a tour of Japan with the Eastman Jazz Sextet, culminating in a performance at the Tokyo Jazz Festival. That same year, he released his first album entitled “Letters Home.” Since then, he has co-produced two projects entitled “R.O.C. Jazz Collective, Vol. 1” and “S.M.F. Jazz Collective, Vol. 2” which feature a mix of jazz standards and original music. He recently celebrated the release of "The Lockdown Sessions," a full-length solo piano album featuring selections from his solo piano livestreams.  

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          Sterling has shared the stage with the likes of Gary Bartz, Donny McCaslin, Matt Wilson, Stefon Harris, Eddie Gomez, the Charles Mingus Big Band, members of the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and more. He currently lives and works in Manhattan, NYC, where he recently completed a master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music. The year he looks forward to continuing to grow and connect with other talented artists in the New York music scene. 

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