Uri Caine

Uri Caine
Photo by Simon Miele
Background information
Born	(1956-06-08) June 8, 1956 (age 60) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano

Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer.

The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, Caine began playing piano at seven and studied with French jazz pianist Bernard Peiffer at 12. He later studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where he came under the tutelage of George Crumb. He also gained a greater familiarity with classical music in this period and worked at clubs in Philadelphia.

Caine played professionally after 1981, and by 1985 had his recording debut with the Rochester-Gerald Veasley band. In the 1980s, he moved to New York City, where he continues to live. His solo recording debut was in 1992. He also appeared on a klezmer album (Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz, 1993) and other recordings with modern jazz musicians Don Byron and Dave Douglas, among many others.

In 2009, Uri Caine was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Classical Crossover Album. His work "The Othello Syndrome" re-imagined the Verdi opera Otello as a modern piece featuring soul singer Bunny Sigler.

Caine, who has recorded 16 albums, is celebrated for his eclectic and inventive interpretations of the classical repertoire. His 1997 jazz tribute to Gustav Mahler received an award from the German Mahler Society, while outraging some jury members. Caine has also reworked Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, as well as music by Wagner, Schumann and Mozart.