Yvonne Rogers

Yvonne Rogers - piano; Rafael Enciso - bass; Karl Henrik Ousback - drums

Yvonne Rogers is a pianist, composer, and multimedia artist from Penobscot, Maine, now based in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up on the rural Maine coast, Yvonne began writing music that followed the meditative patterns and systems of nature before having any conventional understanding of theory or harmony. Fascinated by the sonic landscape and acoustics of her home, she carries this influence with her no matter where she is in the world. Curious about the relationship between music, space, and human experience, Yvonne’s work interacts with and is inspired by the people and places that surround her.

Described as a “fresh, new voice on piano” (Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective), Yvonne has become a busy side-person and bandleader in New York and beyond. Yvonne was a member of the 2021/2022 Focusyear Band in Basel, Switzerland. The band performed regularly with jazz masters including Kris Davis, Sullivan Fortner, Linda May Han Oh, Tineke Postma, Ingrid Laubrock, Jorge Rossy, Larry Grenadier, Lionel Loueke, Chris Cheek, Elena Pinderhughes, Miguel Zenón, and more. Their album of original music was released in May 2022. Yvonne has been awarded a variety of opportunities and accolades including a 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award from ASCAP, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Woodshed Network Residency, the Next Jazz Legacy program (semi-finalist 2021), Ralph Alessi’s School of Improvised Music, the Women in Jazz Organization’s Mentorship Program, and the Sisters in Jazz Combo in which she worked with Ingrid Jensen. In October 2022 she was commissioned by the Big Basel Festival and Fondation Beyeler to compose and conduct a piece for large ensemble inspired by a Louise Bourgeois sculpture. A 2021 graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester, Yvonne holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano Performance from the studio of Gary Versace and a Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies. She has performed at numerous venues including the Deer Isle Jazz Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, the Birdseye Jazz Club, Porgy and Bess, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, the Stone, Jamboree, and more. Currently Yvonne performs with Ingrid Laubrock’s “Lilith,” Adam O’Farril’s Quartet, and Alden Hellmuth’s “Good Intentions,” as well as leading her own projects. Her debut album “Seeds” is out now.