“Black and white, wild and tender, a balance between the duality of the forces of nature,”
are the words used to describe Chicago pianist, composer and educator Liza Micelli’s musical works.
-Ana Teresa, El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico
From the Native American influence on the Blues, to the Afro-Caribbean sounds of the islands, Liza Micelli has always been interested in the stories of humanity and from very young, Liza's work has explored the beauty as well as pain of our interconnectivity.
At age 21, Liza relocated from her hometown of Chicago to study at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, recording her debut album with guest artists Richie Flores, Pedro Perez (Gilberto Santa Rosa), Jimmy Rivera (Batacumbele) and Manolito Rodriguez, co-produced by acclaimed Latin pianist and mentor Luis Marín. Her skills as pianist would begin a five year career as an on-screen keyboardist for Fox’s hit show Empire under Lee Daniels, Sanaa Hamri and Danny Strong. She interacted regularly with the principal cast members and the "Who's Who" of celebrity guest artists of the last 40+ years. This show opened doors to various opportunities with shows like Chicago Med, Showtime's The Chi, and as musical coach to actor Anthony Fleming of Starz’s Power Book IV: Force.
Liza has enjoyed further study and mentorship with the world renowned pianist, composer and educator Danilo Perez, saxophonist Tony Malaby, and pianist Kenny Werner, among others in conjunction with the Berklee Global Jazz and Effortless Mastery Institutes; privileged to participate in various transformative experiences such as the Ben Wendel Presents: the Michael Brecker Bulgarian Project and intensive study with drummer/composer Jorge Rossy at Focus Year in Basel, Switzerland.
In Liza's own words, "The life of a musician is that of continuous transformation. With every new endeavor that draws my curiosity, or opportunity that comes my way, I am renewed and humbled. I am constantly indebted to the wisdom of my peers and mentors, to that of nature and the many sides of history."