Bio

Elliot Roth has made a living in the Pittsburgh area as a jazz pianist, vocalist, music instructor, and composer. He has composed works for Point Park University Dance Conservatory, Attack Theater, Pittsburgh Filmmakers and many surrounding high schools. Growing up, Elliot immersed himself in jazz and classical piano studies as well as Broadway and gospel vocal stylings. His father, Randall Roth, a reknowned jazz musician and drum instructor, introduced Elliot to the finest in jazz, rock, and modern music. Elliot gained stylistic skills from performers such as Bill Evans, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, and Joni Mitchell. While studying music, Elliot was also busy composing songs and works throughout high school. His first musical, loosely based on Homer's,"The Odyssey" was composed at the age of 13. Since then he has proceeded to write 3 published and performed musicals for Butler Area High School including the well received Hollywood farce, "Life is But a Movie"

Going from a 12 year path in Suzuki classical piano, Elliot began jazz piano studies at age15 with now internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Dave Budway. Through his experiences with Budway, Elliot began his career at 15 years old as a solo pianist, playing frequently at venues throughout Western Pennsylvania. As a vocalist, Elliot took up studies with vocal jazz great Maureen Budway and began to merge jazz, musical theatre, and R&B to establish himself as a unique cabaret vocalist/pianist.

Elliot Roth has attended master classes with such names as Grammy award winner Kim Nazarian of New York Voices, Patty Lupone, opera star Claudia Pinza, jazz great Ron Bickel and Pittsburgh vocalist Patricia Donahue-Burns. Thanks to a wide array of studies at Duquesne University, Elliot is skilled in not only piano/voice but woodwinds, brass, strings, and a wide range of percussion instruments.

Vocal/Performance credits include Eric Whitacre's opera electronica "Paradise Lost" (New York City Premiere), Menotti's "The Medium" (Stara Zagora Opera Festival), a super on the hit series, "Young Americans", and two time "Best Actor" award winner at the Greenville Shakespeare Festival for his portrayal of Thisbe and Hamlet. A seasoned pianist, Elliot has performed his one man cabaret show "Taking a Chance on Love" at various venues and festivals including the International Jazz Festival in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. He has performed at the CLO cabaret theater as part of New York native Christina Cataldo's late night cabaret act, "This 'N' 'At".

Elliot's original music is influenced by an array of styles, and sits somewhere between folk and neo-soul. He is inspired by a mixed bag of singer/songwriters including Stevie Wonder, Chet Baker, Duncan Sheik and the incomparable Joni Mitchell. His confessional lyrics and poetry deal with everything from the frustrations of human nature to the offbeat complexities of love and sexuality. His current album "Breaking Silence" features a mixed of emotionally charged pop/jazz songs combined with riveting jazz/folk ballads. The release date is set for Spring 2006.

His major works for dance, theater and film combine the persistence of minimilism with elements of Eastern European folk rhythms and the lush voicings of impressionistic and romantic orchestral music.

Elliot currently performs throughout Western Pennsylvania at such venues as the Attack Theater, CLO cabaret, the Rennaisance Hotel, and Tuscany Café. Whatever the undertones or inspirations may be, all of Elliot's music has something accessible about it...whether it be in melody or message.