Anat Fort

Biography

Anat Fort is an Israeli jazz pianist, composer, and educator born on March 8, 1970, near Tel Aviv.[1] She began playing piano at age five and received classical training in Israel before discovering jazz in her late teens.[2][6] Fort moved to the United States to study jazz improvisation and composition, initially attending William Paterson University in New Jersey and later relocating to New York in 1996 to study under pianist Paul Bley and composer Harold Seletsky.[1] During her early years in New York, she supported herself through versatile piano work—accompanying actors at the Lee Strasberg school, performing classical, jazz, cabaret, and musical theater pieces, often playing multiple gigs nightly.[3] This period of immersion in New York's jazz scene proved formative for her artistic development.

Fort's professional recording career began with her self-produced debut album Peel in 1999, which featured all original compositions.[1][2] In the same year, she formed the Anat Fort Trio with bassist Gary Wang and drummer Roland Schneider, a collaboration that would define her career for over two decades.[4] Her breakthrough came in 2004 when she recorded A Long Story with drummer Paul Motian and other jazz luminaries, which caught the attention of ECM Records producer Manfred Eicher.[1][3] The album was released by ECM in 2007 to outstanding international reviews, making Fort the first Israeli artist signed to the prestigious label.[3][4] She has since released three albums with ECM—A Long Story (2007), And If (2010), and Birdwatching (2016)—all featuring her original compositions.[4] In December 2018, Fort won the Prime Minister's Jazz Composers Award in Israel, becoming the first woman to receive this honor.[4] Her recent work includes Colour (2019), celebrating the trio's 20-year anniversary on Sunnyside Records, and a collaborative lullaby album with vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb.[4] Fort has also completed a PhD in composition at Bar-Ilan University and continues to perform internationally at major venues and festivals.[4]

Fun Facts

• Fort is the first Israeli artist to be signed to the prestigious ECM Records label, achieving this milestone after 20 years of persistent work in the jazz field.[3][4]
• In December 2018, Fort became the first woman ever to win the Prime Minister's Jazz Composers Award in Israel, a significant recognition in her home country.[4]
• Her album And If (2010) was selected by Slate Magazine as one of the Ten Best Jazz CDs of 2010, sharing this honor with legendary jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, one of her most influential heroes.[2]
• Fort's 1999 self-produced debut album Peel was released during the early days of independent music recording, before most musicians began recording without major label backing.[3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Paul Bley - Jazz improvisation instructor and influential pianist who guided Fort's development in jazz (Mentorship in jazz improvisation techniques) [1996 onwards]
• Harold Seletsky - Composition teacher who helped Fort develop her compositional skills (Composition study) [1996 onwards]
• Harold Mabern - Jazz pianist and educator who was part of shaping jazz music; studied with Fort in the US (Jazz piano and composition instruction) [Late 1990s]
• Rufus Reid - Jazz bassist and educator who instructed Fort in jazz fundamentals (Jazz education) [Late 1990s]
• Norman Simmons - Jazz pianist and composer who provided instruction to Fort (Jazz piano and composition) [Late 1990s]
• Manfred Eicher - ECM Records producer who recognized Fort's talent and produced her breakthrough recordings (A Long Story (2007), And If (2010), Birdwatching (2016)) [2004-2016]

Key Collaborators

• Gary Wang - Bassist and core member of the Anat Fort Trio since its formation (Peel (1999), A Long Story (2007), And If (2010), Birdwatching (2016), Colour (2019)) [1999-present]
• Roland Schneider - Drummer and core member of the Anat Fort Trio since its formation (Peel (1999), A Long Story (2007), And If (2010), Birdwatching (2016), Colour (2019)) [1999-present]
• Paul Motian - Legendary drummer with whom Fort collaborated on her breakthrough recording (A Long Story (2004/2007)) [2004]
• Ed Schuller - Jazz musician and collaborator on recordings (A Long Story (2004)) [2004]
• Perry Robinson - Jazz clarinetist with whom Fort recorded (A Long Story (2004)) [2004]
• Ayelet Rose Gottlieb - Vocalist and composer collaborating with Fort on Hebrew lullabies (Two More Dreams (2017)) [2005-present]
• Gianluigi Trovesi - Jazz musician who performed with the Anat Fort Trio (Live performances) [2016]
• Vered Dekel - Singer-composer whose relationship with Fort inspired her to compose original music (Influence on compositional direction) [Late 1990s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz