Gene D’Andrea, jazz pianist and composer, holds a B.A. from the University of Connecticut and a M.M. in Jazz Performance from the University of Maryland. He has performed with David “Fathead” Newman, Gretchen Parlato, Jon Metzger, the Washington Symphonic Brass and M-Theory as well as poet Lawson Inada and has performed at places like the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institute, Blues Alley, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cave 54 in Heidelberg, Germany. Additionally, he has played in opening acts for Maynard Ferguson, Maceo Parker, Parliament-Funkadelic and Deep Banana Blackout. He has taught at Hartford Conservatory, the Greater Hartford Academy for the Performing Arts and has been a guest speaker/performer at Eastern Connecticut State University. Some of his teachers have included Ellen Rowe, Dave Santoro, Harold Danko, Bruce Barth and Ron Elliston. He currently works at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in multimedia.