Lucian Ban

Lucian Ban (born 1969) is an American jazz pianist of Romanian origin.

Raised in the tiny farming village of Teaca, (Transylvania Romania), Ban grew up listening to folk songs performed at weddings, birthdays, holidays and other celebrations.

At the age of seven, he moved to Cluj, where he started classical piano and composition training.

He studied composition at Bucharest Music Academy from 1992 to 1995. He establishes the group Jazz Unit in 1995 and releases two albums as a leader for the Green Records label in Romania.

In 1999 he moved to New York City, where he studied for two years at New School University. His American debut recording Somethin' Holy in duet with baritone sax Alex Harding, was awarded 4 stars by Allmusic, and was followed by the critically praised quintet album Premonition (2003), Tuba Project (featuring Bob Stewart, 2006) and Playground (featuring Jorge Sylvester, 2006).

The Lumination Ensemble co-led with Alex Harding and featuring drum legend Barry Altschul was nominated “One of the 10 best shows of 2003” by All About Jazz. Since then he has played/recorded with: Alex Harding, Reggie Nicholson, Art Baron, Sam Newsome, Barry Altschul, Jorge Sylvester, Brad Jones, Bruce Williams, Damion Reid, Chris Dahlgren, Pheeroan AkLaff, J. D. Allen, Bruce Cox, Hill Greene, Carlo DeRosa, Curtis Fowlkes, Mark Helias, Gene Jackson, Ron Horton, Nasheet Waits, Bob Stewart, Gerald Cleaver, Derrek Phillips, and many more.

2006 – Nominated for the 2nd time for the “Best European Jazz Musician” by the Hans Koller Foundation and the Austrian Government.
2005–06, Music Curator for Kavehaz Jazz Club, NYC.
2005 – Original Score for the play “Philosopher Fox” nominated for both Outstanding Sound Design and Best Score at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards.
2005 – Nominated for the “Best European Jazz Musician” by the Hans Koller Foundation in Austria.
2003 – album “Something Holy” by Lucian Ban & Alex Harding Duet Awarded 4* Stars by Allmusic.
2003 – Ensemble Lumination co-led by Lucian Ban & Alex Harding and featuring drum legend Barry Altschul voted “One of the Best Shows of 2003” by All About Jazz Magazine NYC.
2000 – The theater show “Azi ma Ubu ” after Alfred Jarry wins the Great Prize at the Bucharest Humoror Theatre Festival in Bucharest, Romania.
1999 – the album “From now on” by Lucian Ban wins the “Best Jazz Album of 1999” in Romania.

2006 – release as a leader of the album “Tuba Project” for the US Cimp Records featuring the acclaimed tuba virtuoso player Bob Stewart.
2006 – release at Jazz Standard Club in NYC as a leader of Asymmetry Quartet the album “Playground” for the Norwegian Jazzaway Records.
2006 – release as a pianist member of renowned bari sax player Alex Harding Blutopia Group “The Calling” at Jazz Standard, NYC.
2005 – three-week tour with Blutopia throughout Romania with the support of the US Embassy Cultural Services.
2002–present, various tours in Europe with Sam Newsome, Hill Greene, Derrek Phillips, Carlo DeRosa, Bruce Cox, Alex Harding, Cristian Soleanu, etc.
2001–06, hundred concerts with various projects throughout NYC metropolitan area at such venues as Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club at Lincoln Center, Jazz Gallery, Kavehaz, Cornelia Café, etc., and yearly European tours as leader and co-leader of various jazz ensembles.
1994–99 founder of the Jazz Unit, one of the most important jazz ensembles of the Romanian 90s’ scene. Performances and tours throughout Romania and Europe