Chris Ziemba

Appointed Fall 2026

Chris Ziemba is a jazz pianist, composer and educator based in Washington, DC. He holds performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School. Ziemba first entered the scene in 2009, when he was invited to be a featured guest on Marian McPartland's iconic radio program on NPR, Piano Jazz. In 2011, just before relocating to New York City to further his studies and launch a career, Ziemba won first place in the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. In New York, Ziemba worked to become an in-demand pianist at clubs and performance venues throughout the city. In 2013, he recorded Chakra, a seven-movement suite composed for big band by Jazz at Lincoln Center saxophonist Ted Nash. Other highlights of his time in New York include performances with Kurt Elling, Carl Allen, Marcus Printup, Ron Blake, Karrin Allyson and Ryan Truesdell's Grammy-winning Gil Evans Project, among others. Ziemba released his debut album, Manhattan Lullaby, in 2016. The album features his original compositions and arrangements with the collaboration of saxophonist Michael Thomas, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Jimmy Macbride. Since 2017, Ziemba has occupied the piano chair for the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force Band, based in Washington, D.C. When not on tour, he continues to regularly perform, record and teach all along the East Coast.