About the speaker

ARTIST / ENTREPRENEUR

PIANIST COMPOSER DJ SCREENWRITER

Pianist and composer ELEW is widely known for redefining the piano as a high-energy instrument capable of carrying the force of rock, the sophistication of jazz, the virtuosity of European classical and the immediacy of pop.

A former student of legendary jazz master Jaki Byard, ELEW first emerged internationally when videos of his explosive piano interpretations of rock anthems went viral, introducing millions to his signature style he calls Rockjazz-a visceral fusion where classical virtuosity meets the raw drive of stadium music.

Over the years ELEW has collaborated with an extraordinary range of artists across genres, including Sting, Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Lil Wayne, Josh Groan and Cassandra Wilson.

His newest work expands that creative relationship with Sting's music through We Are Spirits: ELEW Plays Sting, a sweeping reinterpretation of the legendary songwriter's catalog. The project includes a powerful duet performance of Fortress Around Your Heart with Sting himself, alongside new interpretations that transform iconic songs into expansive piano-driven soundscapes.

On stage, ELEW's performances are equal parts concert, spectacle, and improvisational exploration. His physical, athletic playing style-often standing, leaping, and attacking the instrument with orchestral force - has drawn comparisons to rock guitar heroes as much as to the great pianists of music history.

The result is a live experience that feels both familiar and entirely new: beloved songs reborn through the intensity of a single piano.