ELEW

Concert pianist, DJ

Why you should listen

ELEW, formally known as Eric Lewis, began his career as a jazz pianist, winning the Thelonious Monk competition and performing alongside Wynton Marsalis, Elvin Jones and as a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He mixes intricate jazz improvisation with physical, rocking grooves in an intoxicating musical cocktail he calls "Rockjazz."

ELEW’s TED Talks

ELEW
Piano jazz that rocks
10 minutes 22 seconds
Eric Lewis, an astonishingly talented crossover jazz pianist -- seen by many for the first time at TED2009 -- sets fire to the keys with his shattering rendition of Evanescence's chart-topper, "Going Under."
Posted Mar 2009
ELEW
Chaos and harmony on piano
4 minutes 40 seconds
Eric Lewis explores the piano's expressive power as he pounds and caresses the keys (and the strings) in a performance during the 2009 TED Prize session. He plays an original song, a tribute to ocean and sky and the vision of the TED Prize winners.
Posted May 2009
ELEW, Marcus Miller
Entropy, order and the theory of the multiverse
11 minutes 41 seconds
Pianist ELEW and saxophonist Marcus Miller perform an ensnaring three-part set informed by their love of science, masterfully blending rock and jazz improv techniques. (Listen closely and you may also hear a take on Roger and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things.")
Posted Jan 2020
ELEW
Life lessons from the DJ booth
7 minutes
Welcome to Club Reality, where no matter what life throws at you, the music never stops. In this talk and performance, musician ELEW shares his path from jazz pianist to DJ — and the unexpected philosophy he finds in both.
Posted May 2026

ELEW

Why you should listen

ELEW’s TED Talks

More news and ideas from ELEW

Business Unusual: Notes from Session 4 of TEDSummit 2019

A first glimpse at the TEDSummit 2019 speaker lineup

Death, disaster and drugs: A recap of TED University 2015