Showtimes at 6:30 pm & 8:45 pm
Eric Lewis—known professionally as ELEW—is an award-winning pianist from Camden, New Jersey, who began studying music at age two and later earned a full merit scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. After graduating as a Dean’s List student, he toured internationally and performed or recorded with jazz legends including Wynton Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and John Hendricks. In 1999, he won the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition and has since become a three-time Grammy nominee and one of the most dynamic pianists of his generation.
Reemerging as ELEW, he pioneered a genre he calls Rockjazz, blending virtuosic piano technique with rock, prepared piano, and experimental elements, reimagining music by artists such as Nirvana, Coldplay, and Michael Jackson. Deeply influenced by Baroque counterpoint, he also developed Counterbop, a technique that merges dual melodic lines with Afrocentric jazz timing, showcased on his album Cubism – ELEW Plays Rosenwinkel. His innovation and genre-crossing appeal have earned him a global following that includes world leaders and major cultural figures.
Beyond the piano, ELEW is an international DJ, film scorer, and creator of Piano Turntablism, a live performance style that fuses DJ techniques directly into piano playing. He has performed at elite global events including the World Economic Forum, TED, Art Basel, and the Cannes Film Festival. Most recently, he opened for Sting’s My Songs 3.0 North American tour and is recording ELEW Plays Sting. He is also the creator of Protect the Swing, the first jazz superhero series, expanding jazz storytelling across music, comics, and digital platforms.
