About

Music creation has been my life, encompassing playing piano and keyboards, leading ensembles, directing a choir, and teaching. From Bach to Jobim, I'm a seasoned performing musician with background in Classical, Brazilian, and Jazz. I hold a piano performance degree from the University of Michigan, and came of age in an offbeat theater ensemble, jumping from the pit orchestra to embrace a a dramatic character on stage or tap-dance in some tacky imagined bar. My passion for Bossa Nova and Samba Jazz took me to a deep study of that music, which I blend with everything from Chopin to original minimalist compositions. I'm a performer at heart, and weave an educational component about the music at every opportunity.

Music

I apply my classical chops to a diverse set of music. I love the classical composers Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and Bartok, have embraced jazz greats like Clifford Brown and Cedar Walton. Tom Jobim and Hermeto Pascoal anchor my Brazilian repertoire. And I regularly throw in a smattering of Joni Mitchell and Glen Campbell. The exceptional Marcos Silva, my mentor, grounded me in Brazilian music. I had the startling good fortune to meet Leny Andrade, a leading proponents of Samba Jazz. We recorded together in Rio de Janeiro, leading to our CD, "Stephanie Ozer Ensemble: O Começo, with Leny Andrade". My band conducted a thrilling tour with her around California.

Videos