Eric Lewis, also known as ELEW, is a genre-defying pianist, composer, and performer whose boundary-pushing artistry has reshaped the possibilities of the piano. A native of Camden, New Jersey, he began playing at age two and went on to receive a full merit Rodgers and Hammerstein scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music. There, he was a Dean’s List student and, upon graduation, launched a performance career that would take him around the world with jazz luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and Jon Hendricks.
In 1999, Lewis earned global recognition by winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, then considered the highest honor in jazz piano. A three-time GRAMMY nominee, he quickly became known for his electrifying stage presence and profound musical insight.
Midway through his career, Lewis reinvented himself as ELEW, introducing a bold new genre he calls Rockjazz—a fusion of virtuosic jazz piano, rock guitar idioms, and experimental prepared piano techniques. His award-winning albums reimagine the music of artists like Nirvana, Coldplay, The Killers, and Michael Jackson through this dynamic lens. His daring artistry has drawn admiration from public figures such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Al Pacino, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and others.
Deeply inspired by the contrapuntal language of the Baroque era, ELEW developed a groundbreaking technique he calls Counterbop—a method of performing two independent melodic lines simultaneously with harmonic precision and jazz-inflected timing. His album Cubism: ELEW Plays Rosenwinkel explores this technique through the works of contemporary jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, offering a glimpse into the future of piano improvisation.
Beyond his acoustic work, ELEW has made waves as an international DJ and multimedia performer. His unique Piano Turntablism integrates traditional piano performance with live DJing—placing turntables inside the piano and seamlessly blending genres in real time. Whether spinning beats at the World Economic Forum, TED, Art Basel, or Cannes Film Festival, he brings the energy of a dance club into the concert hall. His diverse talents have also led him to film, where he has scored and appeared in multiple projects, further demonstrating his versatility as an artist and storyteller.
Most recently, ELEW opened for Sting on the North American leg of the My Songs 3.0 Tour, captivating new audiences with his high-voltage performances. His album ELEW Plays Sting, a solo piano tribute to the iconic singer-songwriter, is slated for release in 2026.
From concert stages to red carpets, from solo recitals to celebrity events, ELEW continues to redefine what it means to be a pianist in the 21st century. His innovations—whether through Rockjazz, Counterbop, or Piano Turntablism—are a testament to his boundless creativity and relentless pursuit of artistic evolution.