Guest Masterclass Series · 2026/27

Shai Maestro

An online masterclass with one of the most celebrated jazz pianists in the world — on time, touch, phrasing, and the deep musicality that lives underneath every instrument, percussion included. Hosted by Yshai Afterman.

Jazz Piano
August 11, 2026 · live online
Guest Masterclass Series
Shai Maestro at the piano
About the Artist

A pianist of rare lyricism

Shai Maestro is one of the most celebrated jazz pianists in the world — a pianist and composer of rare lyricism, patience, and rhythmic depth, whose music reaches far beyond the jazz world. An ECM recording artist who has led his own acclaimed trio, he has performed on the great stages across the globe and shaped a sound that is at once intimate and orchestral. Israeli-born, he today belongs to the international first rank of his instrument.

What makes Shai so compelling for percussionists is not the piano itself but what lives beneath it: an absolute command of time. His phrasing breathes, his groove is unshakeable, and his sense of space — of when not to play — is a rhythmic lesson in its own right.

This is not an ordinary class. It is an intimate encounter — a small, close circle where you don't watch a master from afar, but sit beside one.

What to expect

This is a live online masterclass — not a recording, but a real conversation as much as a lesson. Shai will share his life and musical journey — the path from his beginnings to the international stage — along with the personal insights behind his playing: how he builds and releases rhythmic tension, his approach to practice, the art of accompaniment and deep listening within a band, and the spirit that turns technique into music. It is a session about musicianship in the deepest sense — the qualities that connect a pianist, a drummer, and every musician who has ever tried to make time feel alive.

Go deeper: the instruments · percussion classes · the full Guest Masterclass Series

Jazz PianoTime & PhrasingImprovisationMusicalityGuest Masterclass Series
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Three ways to join the community

The Shai Maestro masterclass takes place live on August 11, 2026 inside the Afterman Percussion Conservatory, with the recording kept in the portal. Members watch live, and the recording stays in the portal afterward. Pick the path that fits where you are now.