Michel Reis

Michel Reis

Pianist and Composer Michel Reis, started his musical training at an early age. A native of Luxembourg, he began studying classical piano with Serge Bausch and Jazz Piano, Composition and Theory with Kris Defoort, Patrick Hartert, Guy Cabay and Gast Waltzing at the Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg. To further his musical training, Reis moved to Boston, MA to study at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, obtaining first a BM and then a MM in jazz piano and composition. During his training in Boston, Reis studied, worked and performed with Joe Lovano, Danilo Perez, Dave Holland, George Garzone, Ran Blake, Frank Carlberg, Esperanza Spalding, Hal Crook and Greg Hopkins. In 2010, Reis participated in the ASCAP Foundation Workshop in Memory of Buddy Baker, led by film composers Bruce Broughton, Mark Snow, Ira Newborn and David Spear, with whom he has remained a part-time student. Michel Reis has released five albums as a leader and co-leader: A Young Mind (2005) and Fairytale (2009) for Waltzing-Parke Records, Point of No Return (2011) for Armored Records, Hidden Meaning (2012) for Double Moon Records / Challenge Records International as well as with the collective Trio "Reis Demuth Wiltgen" for the French label Laborie Jazz (2013). Currently living between New York City and Luxembourg, Michel Reis has performed internationally in many of the world's most famous venues and festivals, including the Blue Note Jazz Club, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Olympia in Paris, the Casa de Musica in Porto, the 55 Bar, the Knitting Factory, the Panama Jazz Festival the Montreux Jazz Festival, Cully Jazz, Crest Jazz Vocal, OctLoft Jazz Festival, Les Rendez-Vous de l'Erdre de Nantes and many more. In 2005, Reis was a finalist in the First Moscow Competition for Jazz Performers. A year later, he took second prize at the Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition. Two years in a row, Michel Reis won the "Export Artist of the Year" Award presented by the Luxembourg export office music:LX. Michel Reis is a Steinway Artist. "Reis is a tremendous pianist with classical chops, and maybe even a better composer, possessing a clear, expansive vision. Point of No Return shows off both sides of this exciting artist." - Frank Alkyer - Downbeat Magazine "Reis is a musical storyteller" - Dan McCleneghan, All About Jazz "Michel Reis is a very exceptional pianist and composer" - Joe Lovano "Michel Reis is a musician of outstanding talent, discipline and seriousness." - Danilo Perez