Kyle Shepherd Trio

J2J’s resident artistic director, Kyle Shepherd is a leading South African pianist and composer, celebrated for his distinctive style that transcends genres.  Shepherd began playing piano as a teenager, drawing inspiration from the jazz and South African music heheard at Abdullah Ibrahim’s M7 music school where his mother, Michele Shepherd, was a teacher and administrator.   He has garnered numerous accolades, including the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz and the 2019 UNISA Piano Competition winner. Shepherd has performed in 36 countries, gracing prestigious venues such as The Sydney

Opera House, Carnegie Hall’s Zenkel Theatre and Théâtre de Châtelet in Paris. With a prolific output, Shepherd has released eight (8) jazz albums and composed for various film and television projects.

His notable credits include popular Netflix series like Blood and Water and Unseen, which collectively amassed over 60 million hours of viewership. His score for Noem My Skollie earned him the 2018 South African Humanities and Social Sciences Award, while his work on Barakat and Fiela se Kind received Best Score awards at the Silwerskerm Film Festival. Recently, he collaborated on the acclaimed film Greytown Girl with Oscar-winning director Darrell Roodt and has been involved in significant theatre productions, including the award-winning chamber opera Waiting for the Sibyl by William Kentridge for which Kyle co-composed the score with Nhlanhla Mahlangu.

Shepherds’ latest album for his trio, “A Dance More Sweetly Played,” marks Shepherd’s eighth

jazz album. The project aims further explore the themes and sounds that define Shepherd’s artistic vision. The combination of Kyle Shepherd’s innovative compositions, Shane Cooper’s virtuosic

double bass, and Jonno Sweetman’s dynamic drumming creates a vibrant soundscape that

has captivated audiences around the globe. Their performances not only highlight their technical prowess but also convey deep emotional narratives rooted in South African Culture.

The Kyle Shepherd Trio continues to tour internationally and remain a significant force in the music world, embodying the rich heritage and contemporary evolution of South African jazz.