Grammy nominated, platinum selling pianist, composer and producer, David Lanz, is one of the most popular artists in the new age instrumental and adult alternative genres.

Some musicians have the ability to transform your very being with the gifts of their artistry. Master pianist and composer, David Lanz, is that kind of force. A wizard at painting a lush tapestry of cascading melodies that simmer into graceful refrains, and meld rhythmically fueled dancing harmonies that climax into wistful variations, Lanz has made a career of permeating the hearts, minds and souls of audiences around the globe for over three decades. Ahead of his time, the visionary Grammy-nominated and chart-topping pianist has remained a pioneer in the genre of New Age music. The witty pianist has coined his own phrase for his music, ‘Heavy Mellow,’ a cute play on the term Heavy Metal. “I always like to point out in my performances that the term New Age is not really a musical term so for fun I coined the term ‘Heavy Mellow.’ If you happen to like this style of music then I guess you would have to be referred to as a ‘Heavy Mellow-head!’” An all-around journeyman with roots in rock, jazz and classical, Lanz’s music is a delicate balance between technical prowess and passionate grace that serves a higher purpose. “My spiritual path is all about creating music, communicating with sound, and allowing beauty to be expressed in my work,” declared the pianist.

Hailing from Seattle, WA, and since 2015 relocated to Europe, David Lanz has enjoyed a career longevity that is rare in the music business. For over thirty years, the visionary recordings and live performances of David Lanz have served to heal, to inspire, to provide spiritual nourishment to diverse audiences around the globe. “My music has been used for years by traditional and alternative healers,” states Lanz. “I would never claim that it had healing effects, however, I do believe that music can set the stage and create the atmosphere and the inner feeling and attitude needed for the listener to tap into their own healing abilities, which I believe we all possess.” Early on inspired by the roots of Rock and Roll, Lanz’s vast cauldron of musician influences include some of jazz’s most revered pianists like Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner, as well as classical icons Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Debussy. 

Many have tried to define David Lanz style, but that would be too simple. David Lanz plays David Lanz music. As both composer and interpreter, his approach to music is often larger than life, breathtaking in its breadth, yet accessible and down-to-earth as well. Through his music, Lanz connects in an intimate manner with his audience by tapping into emotions, thoughts and dreams like an old friend. Early in Lanz’s career, he took gigs playing rock, funk and disco. Then he had an epiphany: “I had been doing yoga and meditating and getting into Eastern philosophy,” says Lanz, “and slowly I started thinking about how music could help. With music, you could get people to dance or you could get people to meditate or to march off to war. I was aware of a few other musicians who were doing light, ambient music and I was always into what the classical East Indian musicians were doing, creating trance states. By the early ‘80s I was really into the idea that this kind of music would be an interesting path to take.” In 1983, Lanz made his recording debut, Heartsounds, on Narada. It was received favorably and Lanz was off, pursuing his new direction and exploring the various ways he might touch an emerging listenership. During the next five years he released six new albums and landed a major commercial breakthough with 1988’s Cristofori’s Dream. The album consisted of six originals, including the opening title track, which has become a classic, and a cover of Procol Harum’s 1967 rock hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Cristofori’s Dream topped Billboard Magazine’s first Adult Alternative/New Age chart and remained for an impressive 27 weeks. 1990 brought about the release of Skyline Firedance, which joined Lanz with an 80-piece orchestra. He continued to record for Narada, issuing several more titles including 1998’s Songs From an English Garden, his first to tap into the British Invasion repertoire of the ’60s. In 2000, he changed recording homes to Decca Records where he scored a Grammy nomination for East Of the Moon. Lanz continued to record and tour relentlessly, releasing eleven titles between 2001 and 2007. In 2008, he made his Shanachie debut, Painting In the Sun, and in 2012 he paid homage to The Beatles with Here Comes The Sun and Liverpool Re-Imagining The Beatles.

Beginning in 2012, David Lanz celebrated the 25th anniversary of his landmark release Cristofori's Dream Re-Envisioned, marking a return to the music that launched him as an international phenomenon a quarter-century ago. Cristofori’s Dream was a million-selling musical thank you note to Bartolomeo Cristofori, the man who invented the piano in the 18th century. The title track remains hugely popular today—countless piano students have purchased the sheet music to learn how to play the piece. In addition, Lanz’s interpretation of Procol Harum’s classic, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” on the original album is considered one of the most popular of the countless covers of the song. 
 

Truly a renaissance man, David Lanz is always heading into the unknown in order to expand his artistry and share what he’s found with the world. His musical offering is a welcomed retreat back into music with heart, soul, courage, adventure, humanity and purpose. With his latest release LETTERE D'AMORE, with his wife and brilliant musical partner, Kristin Amarie, the journey continues and David Lanz concludes, “I always want my listeners to really enjoy the music, but if it connects to their deeper levels of emotion and allows them to really feel the stirrings in their own hearts...all the better!”