First studying under renowned pianist and harpsichordist Mary Jo Horton and Argentinean pianist Americo Caramuta and later under Jazz pianist Art Lande, Cieri's training spanned Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century, Jazz and Free Music. From there, Cieri drew out the shape of his inner voice as both a pianist and composer.
While running the music end of Denver’s best Jazz Club two years in a row (2003-2004 Best of Westword), he had the great good fortune to work with drummer Mike Clark of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, bassists Rob Wasserman and Les Claypool, Bluegrass legends Peter Rowan and Sam Bush, Jazz guitarists Melvin Sparks and Jimmy Herring, and Funk bassists George Porter and Alfonso Johnson, among others.
While playing with the rock band Chief Broom, Cieri had the opportunity to perform in venues all across the country from Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Fiddler's Green Stadium, The Fox Theatre and The Fillmore West, to Oregon’s Roseland Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom, to Cincinnati’s Riverbend Amphitheatre and St. Louis’ Riverport Amphitheatre, drawing crowds of up to 30,000. The 1997 Horde Tour was an opportunity for Cieri and Chief Broom to share the stage with Neil Young, John Medeski, Col. Bruce Hampton, Jeff Sipe, Anders Osborne, and members of Morphine and Primus.
Cieri now lives and works New York City. He has recorded as a guest with over 20 artists, released six of his own records, and worked on the music for dozens of film projects.
Cadence Magazine called Cieri’s debut record, The Goat and the Violin, “a polished recording,” whose, “diversity of effects, nuances, and impressively clever arrangements make it…effective, compelling, and special.”
Still deeply committed to live performance and improvisation, he began a solo piano residency in 2006 at On The Ave Hotel, which is still in effect. Meanwhile he has performed at venues like Joe’s Pub, The Cutting Room, The Living Room, The Bitter End, 55 Bar, and recently, a two month residency at The Rockwood Music Hall, collaborating with the likes of clarinet virtuoso Chris Speed, Free Jazz multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, trumpeter Dan Brantigan, and drummer Jay Frederick. In July, 2009, Cieri was accepted into the IBLA International Composers’ Competition in Italy, where he performed four solo piano concerts, each consisting of his own compositions, at the Piazza Pola in Ragusa, Sicily.
In 2008 he composed the score for internationally known visual artist Marcel Dzama’s film, “The Lotus Eaters,” and performed the score live for two months at the esteemed David Zwirner Gallery in Manhattan. The New York Times reported that the exhibition was “greatly buoyed by its musical accompaniment, especially on Saturday, when the pianist David Cieri improvises to the action on screen, delivering one of the most poignant aesthetic experiences currently available in Chelsea.”
Lately, he has been working with Ken Burns as a composer for his documentary films released on PBS, including the recently released and acclaimed National Parks series, an addendum to Baseball set for release in 2010, and Prohibition, which is scheduled to air on PBS in 2011.
Cieri also teaches several courses at the City College of New York, including the History of Jazz and the History of Music.
He remains grateful for these life-giving opportunities and looks forward to an ever-expanding future of developing community through music.
