Pianist Matt Savage will be in concert at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture on Sunday, May 22, at 3 p.m.
At age 24, Savage has already had a 14-year professional career as a jazz musician, bandleader and composer. He’s played with some of the biggest names in jazz since first labeled a jazz prodigy at age 8, when he met and played piano for Dave Brubeck, and played with other jazz leaders. He’s also performed with folk and rock musicians Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Al Stewart, and Shawn Colvin.
Savage debuted at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan and was signed as an artist for Bösendorfer pianos at the age of 11. The following year, he appeared at Birdland with Clark Terry on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on sax, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Marcus McLaurine on bass and Kenny Washington on drums.
A mere six years before taking the stage at Birdland, Savage did not play a musical instrument and could not tolerate sounds in general. At the age of three, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, a high-functioning type of autism. For the next four years, his parents immersed him in intensive intervention therapies. At age six, he completed auditory integration therapy, which drastically reduced his sensitivity to sound. With re-tuned sensory and social perceptions, he immersed himself in all things musical. His abilities flourished at a hyper-accelerated pace.
Admission is $18, and $15 for Monadnock Center members, seniors, and students. Reservations can be made online at MonadnockCenter.org, or by calling 924-3235.