Hannah Mayer

Biography

Hannah Mayer is a 21-year-old pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and accompanist from the San Francisco Bay Area, currently living in Baltimore, MD. Hannah is in the final year of their undergrad at Peabody Conservatory where they are pursuing a major in jazz piano. They perform frequently around the DMV, and lead a monthly concert series at An die Musik where they present original music and improvisational takes show tunes with their quintet. In November 2023, Hannah released their debut album entitled "Hannah Mayer & Friends Play Sondheim," where they showcase Hannah's arrangements and pay tribute to one of Hannah's most significant musical influences. This project has captured Hannah's drive to bridge improvised music with the work of the great Broadway composers who have inspired them throughout their life.

In 2018, Hannah composed, arranged, and music directed a 30-minute musical adaptation of the Ray Bradbury short story, "All Summer in a Day," that was performed at Shotgun Players' Ashby Stage in Berkeley, CA. Hannah has accompanied theatre pieces in many concert/cabaret settings, and has played in the pit orchestra for productions including School of Rock the Musical (Oakland School for the Arts; Oakland, CA; John Kendall Bailey), Les Miserables (YMTC; Berkeley/El Cerrito, CA; David Möschler), and Curtains (Saint Paul's Schools, Baltimore; MD; Jack Rifkin). They have been commissioned to write vocal arrangements of individual songs including "For Good" (Wicked) and "3500" (Hair). Hannah additionally works as an accompanist for Diablo Ballet Company, Marin Ballet, and the Peabody Preparatory Ballet Program.

Hannah has been a member of prestigious programs including Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead (Kennedy Center), NYO Jazz (Carnegie Hall), the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo (Monterey Jazz Festival) and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, and was a YoungArts winner in jazz piano and jazz composition. Hannah has had the honor of performing alongside notable jazz musicians Chucho Valdes, Melissa Aldana, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Warren Wolf, Etienne Charles, Tim Green, Charenée Wade, and Sharel Cassity, among others, and they have performed at venues/festivals including Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York. NY), The Jazz Standard (New York, NY), Graded Jazz Festival (São Paulo, Brazil), The Jazz Showcase (Chicago, IL), Discover Jazz Festival (Burlington, VT), the Keystone Korner (Baltimore, MD), Yoshi's (Oakland, CA), Herbst Theater (San Francisco, CA), and Freight & Salvage (Berkeley, CA).