Biography
Master vibraphonist, composer, and teacher Ted Piltzecker has eclectic musical interests. He has performed throughout the United States and around the globe, and is influential in both the percussion and jazz worlds. He is a professor emeritus of composition at the State University of NY-Purchase College, and has served on the percussion faculties at the Hartt School (University of Hartford), and the University of Michigan. As a long-time clinician for Ludwig/Musser, he has been a featured presenter at international Percussion and Jazz Conventions, at multitudes of university percussion programs throughout the United States, and is a regular guest artist at percussion festivals in Brazil, Argentina, and Peru.
Ted has released seven albums as a leader. His 2018 project entitled Brindica is a reflection of his four-month venture around the world. “Piltzecker writes and arranges tunes that draw on tango, second-line, Afro-Cuban, South African, and even Carnatic influences, always in an organic, fun, and respectful way. The result is a stylistic kaleidoscope of an album that reveals new combinations of rhythm and harmony at every turn and always sparks with wit and good humor.” – CDHotList. “ Piltzecker’s work transports to an alluring musical world where every note is infused with a personal touch” – Jazz Weekly notes on his 2023 album Vibes On A Breath. In 2025, Paris Move commented on his latest release Peace Vibes – “…a composer’s sensibility that might fairly be called visionary, one that weaves experience into music that feels both grounded in tradition and unafraid of exploration.”
As a jazz artist, Ted has performed with many of the greats in New York (Gene Burtoncini, Vic Juris, Mike Richmond, Rufus Reid, Lewis Nash, Steve Johns, Clarence Penn, Jim McNeeley, John Hicks, Donald Vega, Bill Charlap, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson, and more), and while directing the jazz program at the Aspen Music Festival (Jimmy Heath, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Mel Torme, Ernie Watts, Hubert Laws, Slide Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and many more). He has toured extensively with pianist George Shearing as a member of his famous Quintet, and has led many of his own unique ensembles.
Firmly grounded in the jazz tradition, Ted’s diverse musical interests have also included tours with the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Dorothy Papadakos (organist, St. John the Divine in New York), and collaborations with classical musicians Yehuda Hanani, Ruben Gonzales, Ayako Oshima, Nancy Allen (NY Phil), and with Hector Del Curto (bandoneón), Jagannath Dhaugoda (tabla), Nikolay Kolev (gadulka), and the LuxMea Treble Choir.
Ted has received composition awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The Lincoln Center Institute, and the ASCAP Foundation. His chamber works have been aired on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” and the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s “Arts National” and have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Ensemble. As a guest of the People’s Republic of China, he premiered new works for percussion at the Conservatories in Beijing and Wuhan. His orchestral works have been performed in Brazil, New York, and Argentina.
Ted Piltzecker is a graduate of the Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music, and a skilled and engaging teacher who enjoys sharing his love of music. Additional information, including recordings and videos, may be found at TedVibes.com.
SPECIALTIES:
Lyrical performance on the vibraphone using the combined techniques of pedaling and dampening with an emphasis on musicality (“Vibes on a Breath”)
Jazz, Latin, ballads
LANGUAGES:
English
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.