SUMMER 2025 INTENSIVE

We are very excited to introduce our three-day Piano – Keyboard Intensive as part of our Summer Jazz Intensive Workshop series. 

About the Piano / Keyboard Intensive Program

Experience a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hone your skills and broaden your horizons with our exclusive three-day summer intensive. You will have the privilege of learning from not one, not two, but three masterful pianists: Amina Figarova, Jim Ridl, and Jacob Sacks.

Throughout the intensive, each day will be led by a different faculty member who will provide you with invaluable insights and techniques to elevate your playing to the next level. With their diverse backgrounds and approaches, you will be exposed to a range of styles, compositions, and improvisational techniques that will help you expand your musical vocabulary and unlock new possibilities in your playing.

Don’t miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to learn from some of the most accomplished and innovative pianists in the industry

Topics:
-Ear training
-Technique
-Sound
-Improvisation
-Reading
-Comping
-Solo piano
-Duo piano
-Classical piano history
-Jazz and Latin-Jazz styles
-Piano and performance wisdom’s
-Listening and the listening list
and much more…..

Dates: Aug  13 – 14 – 15

Prerequisites:
-Instructors may ask for a recorded sample before admission
-At least 17 years of age
-Some of our intensives are better suited to intermediate and advanced musicians with a minimum of a few years on their instrument; other summer intensives, such as the beginner vocal and choir, are open to everyone. More details can be discussed during registration.

About the Faculty

Lauren Lee- Armed with a vivid imagination and the chops on two instruments (piano and voice) to support it, Lauren Lee is a unique force to be reckoned with. Her command over her influences and technique is powerful enough to attract brand new audiences to jazz because she does not sound like anyone you have ever heard before. Her commitment to the tradition is embedded in learning from the masters, not copying them.  She has released three records as a leader to date, starting with The Consciousness Test (self-released) in 2016, followed by Windowsill (ears and eyes records) in 2019, and The Queen of Cups (ears and eyes records) in 2021. With each record, she was afforded significant touring opportunities across Europe, Canada, and the US and has performed at the Stockholm Jazz Festival, the UNCOOL Festival (notably spearheaded by Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra), Riga Jazz Stage, the Berkshires Jazz Festival, and the Queens Jazz Overground Festival. Recording and touring have been made possible with generous support from New Music USA, Artist Tree, The Doris Duke Foundation, South Arts/Jazz Road, The New York Foundation for the Arts, and The New York City Arts in Education Roundtable.  Lauren has notably worked with some of the finest creative minds in the industry, including Kenny Werner, Don Friedman, Karl Berger and Ingrid Sertso, Gil Goldstein, and others.. Read more

Jim Ridl- Jim Ridl is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher residing in the New York City area. He performs internationally with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quartet, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, Ximo Tebar’s IVAM Jazz Ensemble of Spain, and the Tim Horner Quintet. Jim’s sixth CD, Jim Ridl’s Blue Corn Enchilada Dreams, features the outstanding soloists Terell Stafford, Donald Edwards, and John Benitez in an inspired quartet setting. Jim has 5 previously released recordings: Your Cheatin’ Heart and Other Works on the Dreambox Media Label; Door In a Field (DBM); Jim Ridl Trio/Live (DBM); Blues Liberations – Solo Piano (DBM); and Five Minutes to Madness and Joy (Synergy Music). Jim’s tenure with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino received many critically acclaimed reviews of performances around the world and produced 3 outstanding recordings: Interchange, Night Wings and The Maker. Additionally, Jim has performed and/or recorded with Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Mickey Roker, Billy Hart, Mark Murphy, Ravi Coltrane, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Bill Stewart, Denis DiBlasio, Rich Matteson, Marko Marcinko, Tim Horner, Ralph Bowen, Donny McCaslin, Mark Walker, Michael Pedicin, Jean Michel Pilc, Dick and Ted Nash, Ari Hoenig, Jimmy Bruno, Tim Warfield, Terrell Stafford, Vic Juris, Paul Nash, Carla Cook, Francois Moutin, Bruce Williamson, Matt Wilson, Sherman Ferguson, Tyrone Brown,…Read more

Jacob Sacks- Jacob Sacks is one of the most creative pianists on the NYC jazz scene today. His strong individual voice has been heard in a variety of settings ranging from the mainstream jazz traditions of the Mingus Big Band and Orchestra to the open approach of the Paul Motian Septet to the vamp based fusion of David Binney’s Balance. Jacob was a finalist in the 1999 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. In the last 12 years, Jacob has been a member of many different ensembles, recorded several albums, and has toured the United States, Europe, and Canada several times.  He has performed with musicians such as Clark Terry, Joe Maneri, Terumasa Hino, Charles Gayle, Eddie Henderson, Christian McBride, Brian Blade, Tony Malaby, Jacob Garchik, Ben Gerstein, Ohad Talmor, Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Ben Monder, Adam Rogers, Kenny Wollesen, Gene Jackson, and Matt Wilson. Read more

Tuition and Registration

Tuition:
$435 Early Bird – for registrations and payments received before March 31st
$465 for registrations received after April 1st

Registration:
To sign up for this Summer Intensive, fill out this brief registration form.

General Information

For more info regarding our summer program, housing, travel, and more, visit our Summer Workshop General Information page. For a more in-depth experience, inquire about adding a private lesson with someone from the NYJW Faculty during your visit. Learn more about how you can combine Summer Intensives to create a customized Summer Jazz Packages. Feel free to reach out via email at info@newyorkjazzworkshop.com with any additional questions.

What to expect:
When you join us for one or more of our intensives, you can expect to become a member of our tightly knit community. There will be musicians from all over the world looking to learn, explore and make connections. You will be making connections that last a lifetime. A typical day will be as follows:

10:00am – 12:00pm: Morning Sessions
12:00pm – 1:00pm  Lunch Break
1:00pm – 4:00pm: Afternoon Sessions
Evenings: Free

Student will normally organize small groups or go check out some concerts. See “Fun Evening Activities” in the General Information page for more details. There will be opportunities for every student to perform outside of the school, more details coming up soon.

AMINA FIGAROVA

JIM RIDL

JACOB SACKS