Pianist, composer, and educator Dave Meder is one of the prominent artists of his generation, known for a panoramic approach that has earned him slots in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and the American Pianists Awards.

His debut album Passage was counted among the top five jazz debuts in the Ottawa Citizen and was included in the “Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019” from All Music Guide, for its balancing of “post-bop harmonies with soulful gospel warmth and contemporary classical sophistication.”

His 2021 release Unamuno Songs and Stories is a stunning response to recent sociopolitical turmoil in the United States, using the writings of Spanish Civil War-era philosopher Miguel de Unamuno as a historical analogy.

His compositions have been awarded in the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Competition and the International Songwriting Competition, among others. Meder has headlined stages and conducted educational residencies at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls Jazz Club, The Kennedy Center, as well as internationally in Beijing, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, and most recently Egypt as a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright US Scholar Award. Meder currently holds a professorship at the University of North Texas, one of the most renowned jazz studies programs in the world.

Location: Firehouse Arts and Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225

Cost: $20 general, $10 students. Purchase advance tickets here

Lineup: Dave Meder (p); Jonathan Barber (d); Marty Jaffe (b)

Website: www.davemeder.com