about ❀

Esteban Castro (they/them) is a pianist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Their playing and compositional style draws on a wide range of musical influences, brought together through a heartfelt and personal approach to improvisation. At the core of their music is an emphasis on expression and lyricism, fueled by a desire to deeply move their listeners.

Esteban was born in 2002 in Houston, Texas. They started playing the piano at the age of four and found themselves improvising and composing soon after. After moving to New Jersey in 2010, they began attending the Manhattan School of Music Precollege and Jazz House Kids, and went on to become the youngest-ever winner of both the 2016 Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition and the 2017 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. In high school, they studied with legendary jazz pianist Fred Hersch and took part in honors programs including the Grammy Band, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and YoungArts. Their classical studies with Phillip Kawin, meanwhile, culminated in winning the 2019 MSM Precollege Philharmonic Concerto Competition.

Esteban moved to New York in 2020 to further their studies at the Juilliard School on a full scholarship, graduating in 2024. Since then, they have been a member of Ambrose Akinmusire's Banyan Seed commission; performed in groups led by Billy Drummond, Bobby Watson, Harish Raghavan, Marvin "Bugalu" Smith, Or Bareket, and Peter Evans; toured throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas; and led their own projects in New York City and abroad, most recently premiering their compositions at the Jazz Gallery. Other inspiring musicians Esteban has worked with include Cécile McLorin Salvant, Immanuel Wilkins, María Grand, Marquis Hill, Wadada Leo Smith, and Walter Smith III.

A Young Steinway Artist, Esteban is a winner of the 2025 Larry J. Bell Young Jazz Artist Award and was a finalist for the 2023 American Piano Awards.