Jestin Pieper is a New York City based pianist, vocal coach, organist, conductor, and educator. As a performer, Mr. Pieper has had guest appearances on the Discovery Channel, WNYC, WNPR and Inwood arts works podcast, and has been heard in performance at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, The Bruno Walter Auditorium in New York, The Long Center in Texas, Harris Hall in Colorado, Parker Concert Hall in North Carolina and many others across the USA and Europe. He has a solo piano album titled Humoreske which is available on all streaming services. He also maintains a YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/MrPieperj.

Jestin is one of the founding members of the piano trio ensemble Luminae Trio. Luminae has recently received several accolades since their inception in 2020, including the NYFA City Artist City Corps Grant, third prize in the Lancaster Chamber Music Competition, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in the American Prize for the chamber music and American music categories, and are the recipients of the Ensemble Forward grant from Chamber Music America in 2023. More can be found on their website: https://www.luminaetrio.com/

A sought after vocal coach and collaborator, Jestin has served as a pianist and vocal coach at many prestigious schools and festivals including Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, International Vocal Arts Institute with Joan Dornemann and Mignon Dunn, Mediterranean Opera Studio in Italy, Aspen Music Festival and School, Brevard Music Festival, Manhattan Opera Studio, and the Savannah VOICE Experience with Sherrill Milnes. As a conductor, Jestin made his conducting debut in 2015 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, and in 2016 was co-founder of the company Create Opera, and was pianist/conductor for their production Elektra by Strauss. In 2020, Jestin made his VHRP debut conducting a revival of Victor Herbert’s Operetta Madeline and received several glowing reviews including :“ the arrangement, led by Jestin Pieper, was full of delicate touches that suited the comic libretto and did not compete with the singers”........”the orchestra was alive with colorful detail and, yes, drama, with the result anything but static.” In December 2023, Mr. Pieper made his conducting debut with the New Jersey Opera Theatre conducting Amahl and the Night Visitors in their opening concert of their inaugural season. For the past 4 years he has been working as assistant conductor and pianist for Chelsea Opera, who has premiered several of Tom Cipullo’s operas including Afterlife, Josephine Baker, The Parting, and Glory Denied coming up in the 2024 season. He also severs the duo roles of music director/conductor and collaborative pianist for the music theatre and choir ensembles for the music program at Long Island University, Brooklyn campus. Jestin has also been the music director of the Music theater program at LIU Brooklyn, and has directed three productions over the past three years, including 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Carrie the Musical.

As an educator for 15 years, Mr. Pieper has extensive experience teaching students from a variety of backgrounds and abilities from beginners to professionals. He has done presentations with organizations such as TMTA, and MTNA, and has done outreach programs from schools to community centers, to bars, to retirement homes to large events. He is a former teaching artist through ArtsBridge, was co-director and piano instructor of the Elmhurst Community School PS-329 Saturday Piano Project in Elmhurst Queens, and curated a concert performance series in Manhattan. In addition, he maintains a vibrant and selective private studio of students who regularly perform in the city, and have gone on to receive scholarships and be admitted into high level performance high schools and universities.

Mr. Pieper resides happily with his wife Elisabeth and cat Schubert in Washington Heights, NYC. He is currently Associate Organist at First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich, CT and is on faculty as an Associate Adjunct Professor of Music at LIU Brooklyn RocNation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment where he teaches Music theory, Aural Skills, private piano lessons, and vocal coaching lessons.

Jestin received his Bachelor of Music, magna cum laude, from Lawrence University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and a professional studies certificate from Manhattan School of Music.