About Emmett

Emmett Van Leer is a jazz pianist and composer from Rhode Island. Currently studying with Helen Sung and Edward Simon at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Emmett draws influence from pianists such as Andrew Hill, Geri Allen, and Thelonious Monk. Emmett has performed in small groups alongside musicians including Regina Carter, Ulysses Owens Jr., and Marcus Printup, and played in venues like The Deluxe, SFJAZZ, The Independent, Courtland Club, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Newport Jazz Festival. He has written many large form works for large ensembles, including Un Chant de Noël (2024) and The Mother Goose Songbook (2026). Emmett is the former founder and director of Manning Street Music Festival, an annual grassroots event held in Barrington, Rhode Island, as well as the current lead organizer of Free Jazz Comedy Manatee, a community concert series in SF.

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