Joe Block

Joe Block is an award-winning pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and musical director. He began his classical piano studies at the age of two and developed a passion for jazz during middle school. Now residing in New York City, Block is in high demand and has toured with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Leslie Odom Jr. He has performed in over ten countries and at esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, Lincoln Center, and the Apollo Theater. Recognized by Jazz at Lincoln Center as one of "jazz's most promising young composers," Block received the 2024 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award and was a semi-Sinalist in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. He leads the Open Heart Trio and the Joe Block Quintet, where he showcases many of his original works, and serves as the musical director of the Future of Jazz Orchestra. He has arranged or composed for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis Septet, baritone Kenny Overton, Grace Kelly, and many more.
Block is a graduate of the Columbia-Juilliard dual-degree program, having earned a BA from Columbia University in 2021 and an MM from The Juilliard School in 2022. He has taught over 30 students, carrying forward the rich culture of mentorship he was
surrounded with while growing up in Philadelphia, PA.