A fearless, versatile explorer, two-time JUNO Award winning pianist/composer Andy Milne has been a distinct and respected voice at the heart of New York’s creative jazz scene for more than 30 years, collaborating with dancers, visual artists, poets and musicians spanning jazz, classical, pop, folk, and world music. At the piano, he skillfully blends poetic gravitas with a playful sense of order, releasing 13 recordings as a leader or co-leader.
He has recorded and performed throughout the world with Ravi Coltrane, Ralph Alessi, Carlos Ward, Carla Cook and Steve Coleman, and has collaborated with a range of artists including Joe Lovano, Andrew Cyrille, Sekou Sundiata, Avery Brooks, Bruce Cockburn, Fred Hersch, Ben Monder, Dianne Reeves, Jen Shyu, Tyshawn Sorey and Jamie Baum. A former student of Oscar Peterson, Milne was at the center of the M-BASE Collective as a core member of saxophonist Steve Coleman’s bands, as well as performing with Cassandra Wilson and Greg Osby.
Milne is active composing for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and scoring for film and television, getting his start producing seven scores for acclaimed actor/director William Shatner. His score for Emmy Award winning director Michèle Stephenson’s latest film, “True North”, earned him a 2026 Canadian Screen Music Award nomination.
Milne is the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including the prestigious Civitella Fellowship. In addition to his multiple projects, Milne is both a Yamaha Piano and Steinberg Artist, and a sought-after educator, serving as a tenured associate professor of music at The University of Michigan. He draws inspiration from politics, philosophy, homeopathy, comedy, and science fiction, with musical influences that bridge Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, Herbie Nichols, Bela Bartok, Gustav Mahler, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder.