Dimitri Landrain is a French pianist based in New York City. His musical studies began with classical piano at the age of eight years old. Throughout his teens, Dimitri explored more contemporary styles and basic improvisation which led to piano bar gigs in Paris at age 16 and joining various bands, all the while falling in love with Jazz, Influenced and inspired by recordings of Bill Evans and Stan Getz, among others.

 

In 1996, Dimitri won a scholarship at a Berklee workshop in Umbria and moved to Boston the following year to attend Berklee College of Music where he studied with pianists Ray Santisi and Joanne Brackeen. After one year at Berklee, Dimitri was offered the chance to travel the world while working as a Show Band musician and bandleader on cruise lines. While at sea, he pursued his interest in composition, writing a pop song “Nous Ne Sommes Presque Rien,” which was recorded by French singer Liane Foly and featured on her platinum album. Dimitri graduated from Berklee in 2001 after attending summer semesters during breaks from ship contracts.

 

In 2006, Dimitri began a Master of Music in Jazz Studies degree at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music., Outside of classes, he could be found playing jazz gigs, in local salsa bands, and for a Baptist church. as well as playing for music theater performance, which ultimately led to his further pursuit of composition studies in New York at NYU TISCH in the Graduate Music Theater Program, from which he graduated in 2010. He was selected to participate in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop, during which he wrote a a children’s musicial, “The Ant And The Grasshopper,” that has been licensed by MTI (cowritten with AJ Freeman, Bookwriter/Lyricist) and was performed on the Green at Lincoln Center. 

 

In 2013, Dimitri released a piano solo album, September, NYC, featuring original compositions. Following two additional years as Music Director on Seaborn for world cruise itineraries, Dimitri returned to NYC in 2015 to finally focus on his first passion: Jazz. 

 

Dimitri was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend Barry Harris’ weekly workshop, which contributed greatly to his growth as a musician and continues to influence his playing. He currently lives in Manhattan and gigs throughout New York City.