SUMMER 2026 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 12 – 13 – 14
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
Amina Figarova was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and as a child studied to be a classical concert pianist. Graduated from the Baku Conservatory as classical concert pianist. In 1990, she entered Rotterdam Conservatory (where she met Bart Platteau, a fellow student from Belgium) to pursue jazz, coming to the United States in 1992 to complete her formal education at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In 1998 she was invited to the Thelonious Monk Institute’s summer jazz colony in Aspen, and after more than a decade of bookings in major U.S. jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals, the couple gained legal immigrant status in 2013, and became US citizen in 2020. They currently live in Harlem, NY and tour constantly.
“Among the most important composers to come into jazz in the new millennium” – JazzTime
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