Onstage company
Documented collaborators
Few artists redefine what a piano can do. Cecil Taylor was a visionary pianist and composer who helped ignite the free jazz movement, pushing the instrument beyond conventional harmony and rhythm. A founder of the Jazz Composer's Guild and the Cecil Taylor Ensemble, he forged a path that expanded improvisation into intricate, dynamic textures and polyrhythms. Recognized as an NEA Jazz Master in 1990 and a Kyoto Prize recipient in 2013 for expanding the possibilities of piano improvisation, Taylor left an indelible mark on jazz history.