Fred Hersch

Fred Hersch studied at Grinnell College, New England Conservatory and Walnut Hills High School. Training under Gunther Schuller and Jaki Byard is recorded. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are jazz. Employment is recorded with Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory and Western Michigan University. Distinctions recorded are Guggenheim Fellowship.

• Name — Fred Hersch • Born — 21 October 1955 • Birthplace — Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer, educator • Instrument — Piano • Years Active — 1977–present • Label — Sunnyside, Chesky, Nonesuch, Palmetto • Website — fredhersch.com

Hersch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jewish parents. He began playing the piano at age four, under the tutelage of Jeanne Kirstein. He began composing music at eight, and won national piano competitions starting at the age of ten. Hersch first became interested in jazz while at Grinnell College in Iowa. He dropped out of school and started playing jazz in Cincinnati. He continued his studies at the New England Conservatory under Jaki Byard, attracting attention from the press ("a fine showcase for Fred Hersch") in a college recital. On graduation, he became a jazz piano instructor at the college. In his 2017 autobiography, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, Hersch talks about seeing Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra at Gilly's, a now-closed jazz club in Dayton, Ohio. He recalls being in the audience when bandleader Art Pepper kicked the pianist hired for the occasion off the stand and asked if there was anyone in the audience who could sit in—an offer Hersch took up, which essentially launched his career.

In 1977, Hersch moved to New York. One of his earliest professional engagements was with Art Farmer in Los Angeles in 1978. Jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote that Hersch "showed his ability as an accompanist and soloist at the out-of-tune piano". He played with Farmer again in 1981. In 1982, the album A Work of Art (Art Farmer Quartet, Concord Jazz CJ-179), was released, with Hersch on piano, including two of Hersch's own compositions; Leonard Feather gave it 3½ stars. In 1980, the Fred Hersch Trio played at B. Dalton Bookseller, one of many fringe events that were an offshoot of the Newport Jazz Festival. The next year, his trio played for singer Chris Connor, who was making a comeback after completing a recovery program for alcoholism. Hersch also played at the Kool Jazz Festival that year, and with Joe Henderson in the New Jazz at the Public series. In 1983, Hersch played a duo session with bassist Ratzo Harris at the Knickerbocker Saloon, New York. The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Hersch is a romantic. He is openly involved in what he is playing and projects this involvement with body English and facial expressions that subtly underline the sense of his music. His lines often become gently billowing waves of sound, and he rises and falls, tenses and relaxes along with them." In 1983–84, Hersch played many sessions with Jane Ira Bloom in several venues, and with whom he recorded the album, Mighty Lights. In 1985, he played with the Jamie Baum Quartet. In 1986, he played with Toots Thielemans at the Great Woods jazz festival. He played with him in several sessions the following year, and again in 1987, receiving special attention for his solos. In 1986, he taught at Berklee College of Music. He was the pianist for the Eddie Daniels quartet in 1987 and appeared on his album, To Bird with Love. In 1988, Hersch played in Somerville, Massachusetts with his quintet at the Willow Jazz Club. The Boston Globe described him as "an elegant, highly melodic player." In 1989, Hersch played with Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and they recorded together in a studio set up in his home. His first solo piano recording came in 1993: Fred Hersch at Maybeck. In 2006, Palmetto Records released the solo CD Fred Hersch in Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis, and released his eighth solo disc, Fred Hersch Plays Jobim, in 2009. In 2024, Hersch played with Drew Gress and Joey Baron at the Teatro Mario Del Monaco, in Treviso, in North East of Italy. The concert was part of the festival Treviso Suona Jazz Festival.

Hersch's own compositions feature prominently in nearly all of his concerts and recordings. He has received commissions from the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Gramercy Trio and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A disc of his through-composed works, Fred Hersch: Concert Music 2001-2006, was released by Naxos Records. Many of Hersch's compositions have been transcribed by music publisher Edition Peters, including Valentine, Three Character Studies, Saloon Songs, and 24 Variations on a Bach Chorale. Hersch was awarded a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition. In the same year, he created Leaves of Grass (Palmetto Records), a large-scale setting of Walt Whitman's poetry for two voices (Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry) and an instrumental octet; it was presented in March 2005 at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall as part of a six-city U.S. tour.

Hersch has worked with instrumentalists and vocalists in the worlds of jazz (Joe Henderson, Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Jay Clayton, and Bill Frisell), classical music (Renée Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Joshua Bell, Christopher O'Riley, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg), and Broadway (Audra McDonald). He has accompanied jazz vocalists such as Nancy King, Norma Winstone and Kurt Elling. Hersch has taught at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, and conducted a Professional Training Workshop for Young Musicians at The Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall in 2008.

DownBeat magazine described Hersch as "one of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation." The New York Times described him as "singular among the trailblazers of their art, a largely unsung innovator of this borderless, individualistic jazz – a jazz for the 21st century."

In 1993, Hersch came out as gay and that he had been treated for HIV since 1984. He fell into a coma in 2008 for two months. When he regained consciousness, he had lost muscular function as a result of his long inactivity and could not play the piano. After rehabilitation, he was able to play again. In 2011, he performed My Coma Dreams, a stage show written and directed by Herschel Garfein about the contrast between dreams and reality.

Hersch has been a spokesman and fund-raiser for AIDS services and education agencies since 1993. He has produced and performed on four benefit recordings and in numerous concerts for charities including Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which had raised over $250,000 as of June 2013. In April 2016, he played a benefit concert for Buddhist Global Relief. He has also been a keynote speaker and performer at international medical conferences.

Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, published in 2017

(Artists and labels are linked only once, at first appearance. Lineup can be sorted by "solo", "duo", "trio"... All trios are classic piano trios with (grand) piano, upright bass and drum kit, except for the trio Thirteen Ways, with saxophonist Michael Moore.) • Recording date — Title — Label — Year released — Personnel / Notes • 1984-09 — As One — JMT — 1985 — Duo with Jane Ira Bloom. live. • 1984-10 — Horizons — Concord Jazz — 1985 — Trio with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron • 1986-12 — Sarabande — Sunnyside — 1987 — Trio with Charlie Haden and Joey Baron • 1988-05 — E.T.C. — Red — 1990 — Trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield • 1989-12 — Heartsongs — Sunnyside — 1990 — Trio with Michael Formanek and Jeff Hirshfield • 1989? — The French Collection (Jazz Impressions of French Classics) — EMI Angel — 1989 — Trio with Steve LaSpina, Joey Baron and guests: James Newton, Kevin Eubanks, Toots Thielemans, Eddie Daniels • 1989? — Short Stories — Atlantic — 1989 — Quartet co-led by Janis Siegel plus Harvie Swartz (bass) and Kris Yenny (cello); Siegel was a Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Performance • 1990-08 — Evanessence: A Tribute to Bill Evans — Evidence — 1991 — Trio with Michael Formanek or Marc Johnson, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: Gary Burton, Toots Thielemans • 1991-03 — E.T.C. Plus One — Red — 1993 — Quartet, trio E.T.C. with Steve LaSpina and Jeff Hirshfield plus Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone). live. • 1991-07 — Forward Motion — Chesky — 1991 — with The Fred Hersch Group featuring Rich Perry (tenor sax), Erik Friedlander (cello), Scott Colley (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums) • 1992-09, 1992-10 — Red Square Blue: Jazz Impressions of Russian Composers — EMI Angel — 1993 — Trio with Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield and guests: James Newton, Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, Erik Friedlander • 1992-12 — Dancing in the Dark — Chesky — 1993 — Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group • 1993-07 — Concerto Pour Harmonica — TCB — 1994 — with Toots Thielemans, Christian Gavillet, Big Band de Lausanne, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Roby Seidel • 1993-10 — Fred Hersch at Maybeck — Concord Jazz — 1994 — Solo piano, in concert • 1994-02 — Plays... — Chesky — 1994 — Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey • 1994-05 — Beautiful Love — Sunnyside — 1995 — Duo with Jay Clayton (vocals) • 1994-09 — I Never Told You: Fred Hersch Plays Johnny Mandel — Varèse Sarabande — 1996 — Solo piano; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group • 1995-03 — Point in Time — Enja — 1995 — Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey, and quintet adding Dave Douglas (trumpet), Rich Perry (tenor saxophone) on half of the tracks • 1995? — Slow Hot Wind — Varèse Sarabande — 1995 — Duo with Janis Siegel, and quartet with Tony Dumas and Ralph Penland added • 1995-06 — Thirteen Ways — GM — 1997 — Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway • 1995-06, 1995-08 — Passion Flower - The Music of Billy Strayhorn — Nonesuch — 1996 — Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey plus string orchestra conducted by Eric Stern; one track is a duo with Nurit Tilles (piano); Andy Bey (vocals) added for one track • 1996-01 — Plays Rodgers & Hammerstein — Nonesuch — 1996 — Solo piano • 1997-02 — Thelonious: Fred Hersch Plays Monk — Nonesuch — 1998 — Solo piano • 1997-07 — '97 @ The Village Vanguard — Palmetto — 2018 — Trio with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey in concert • 1997-07 — The Duo Album — Classical Action — 1997 — Duos with Gary Burton, Joe Lovano, Diana Krall, Tommy Flanagan, Andy Bey, Tom Rainey, Lee Konitz, Jim Hall, Drew Gress, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Janis Siegel • 1998? — Songs We Know — Nonesuch — 1998 — Duo with Bill Frisell (guitar) • 1998-10 — Let Yourself Go: Live at Jordan Hall — Nonesuch — 1999 — Solo piano, in concert • 1999? — Focus — Palmetto — 1999 — Trio Thirteen Ways with Michael Moore and Gerry Hemingway • 1999-10 — 4 in Perspective — Village Life — 2000 — Quartet with Norma Winstone (vocals), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet) and Paul Clarvis (percussion) • 2001 — Songs without Words — Nonesuch — 2001 — Solo, with few duo, trio and quintet tracks. [3CD] Vol. 1 with originals, 2nd with standards and 3rd tributed to Cole Porter. • 2002-05 — Live at the Village Vanguard — Palmetto — 2002 — Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits in concert • 2002-07 — Songs and Lullabies — Sunnyside — 2003 — Duo with Norma Winstone; three tracks with Gary Burton added • 2003-05 — In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis — Palmetto — 2005 — Solo piano, in concert; Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for "Valentine" • 2003-09 — Fred Hersch Trio + 2 — Palmetto — 2004 — Quintet with Drew Gress, Nasheet Waits plus Ralph Alessi (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Tony Malaby (tenor sax) • 2003-10 — This We Know — Palmetto — 2008 — Duo with Michael Moore • 2003? — Soothing the Senses — Sensory Resources — 2003 — Solo piano • 2004-10 — Live at Jazz Standard — Maxjazz — 2006 — Duo with Nancy King; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album • 2005? — Leaves of Grass — Palmetto — 2005 — Octet with four horns featuring vocalists Kurt Elling and Kate McGarry; lyrics by Walt Whitman • 2006-12 — Night & the Music — Palmetto — 2007 — Trio with Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits • 2007-06 — Concert Music 2001-2006 — Naxos — 2007 — Solo, duo and trio interpretations of compositions by Hersch with pianists Natasha Paremski, Blair McMillen, the Gramercy Trio, and Hersch himself with cellist Dorothy Lawson on one track • 2009? — Live at Jazz Standard — Sunnyside — 2009 — with the Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra featuring Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Richie Barshay (percussion) and Jo Lawry (vocals) • 2009? — Plays Jobim — Sunnyside — 2009 — Solo piano • 2010-01 — Whirl — Palmetto — 2010 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson • 2010-05 — Everybody's Song but My Own — Venus — 2011 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson • 2010-11, 2010-12 — Alone at the Vanguard — Palmetto — 2011 — | Solo piano; Grammy Award nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Work"; DownBeat named it one of the Best CDs of 2012 • 2012? — Da Vinci — Bee Jazz — 2012 — Duo with Nico Gori • 2012 — Alive at the Vanguard — Palmetto — 2012 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson. [2CD] • 2012? — Two Hands/Ten Voices — Broadway Cares — 2012 — Duos with Karrin Allyson, Judy Blazer, Ann Hampton Callaway, Kate McGarry, Jessica Molaskey, Jane Monheit, Janis Siegel, Carol Sloane, Luciana Souza, Norma Winstone • 2012-05 — Fun House — Songlines — 2013 — with Benoît Delbecq and Fred Hersch Double Trio • 2011-06, 2012-05 — Only Many — CAM Jazz — 2013 — Duo with Ralph Alessi • 2013-02 — Free Flying — Palmetto — 2013 — Duo with Julian Lage (guitar), in concert; Grammy Award nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Song Without Words #4: Duet" • 2014? — Floating — Palmetto — 2014 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Two Grammy Award nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "You and the Night and the Music" • 2014-08 — Solo — Palmetto — 2015 — Solo piano, in concert "Windham Chamber Music Festivals 2014" • 2016-03 — Sunday Night at the Vanguard — Palmetto — 2016 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" • 2016-03 — Open Book — Palmetto — 2017 — Solo piano • 2016-06 — Live in Healdsburg — Anzic — 2018 — Duo with Anat Cohen, in concert "Healdsburg Jazz Festival" • 2017-11 — Live in Europe — Palmetto — 2018 — Trio with John Hébert and Eric McPherson; Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" (again) • 2018-10 — Alive at the Village Vanguard — Palmetto — 2023 — Duo with Esperanza Spalding • 2019? — Begin Again — Palmetto — 2019 — with WDR Big Band, arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza • 2020-08 — Songs from Home — Palmetto — 2020 — Solo piano • 2021-08 — Breath By Breath — Palmetto — 2022 — with Crosby Street String Quartet, Drew Gress, and Jochen Rückert • 2021-11 — The Song Is You — ECM — 2022-09 — Duo with Enrico Rava • 2023-04 — Silent, Listening — ECM — 2024-05 — Solo piano • 2024-05 — The Surrounding Green — ECM — 2025-06 — Trio with Drew Gress and Joey Baron

• Date — Artist — Album title — Label — Notes • 1979 — Art Farmer — Yama — CTI — with Joe Henderson • 1979 — Billy Harper — Billy Harper Quintet in Europe — Soul Note • 1979 — Billy Harper — The Awakening — Marge • 1979 — Sam Jones — Something New — Interplay • 1981 — Art Farmer — A Work of Art — Concord Jazz — Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group • 1982 — Jane Ira Bloom — Mighty Lights — Enja — with Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell • 1982 — Art Farmer — Mirage — Soul Note • 1983 — Art Farmer — Warm Valley — Concord Jazz • 1985 — Art Farmer — You Make Me Smile — Soul Note • 1986 — Eddie Daniels — Breakthrough — GRP — with The London Philharmonia; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist • 1987 — Jane Ira Bloom — Modern Drama — Columbia • 1987 — Tony Dagradi — Sweet Remembrance — Gramavision • 1987 — Eddie Daniels — To Bird with Love — GRP — Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group • 1987 — Toots Thielemans — Ne Me Quitte Pas - Do Not Leave Me — Milan/Stash — with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron • 1987 — Roseanna Vitro — A Quiet Place — Skyline • 1987 — Jimmy McGary — Palindrome — Mopro — with Michael Moore and Joey Baron • 1988 — Meredith D'Ambrosio — The Cove — Sunnyside • 1988 — Jane Ira Bloom — Slalom — Columbia • 1988 — Toots Thielemans — Only Trust Your Heart — Concord Jazz • 1988 — Lee Konitz — Round & Round — Musicmasters • 1988 — Jon Metzger — Into The Light — V.S.O.P. Records • 1989 — Michael Bocian — Go Groove — GM Recordings • 1990 — Johnny Mathis — In a Sentimental Mood: Mathis Sings Ellington — Columbia — Grammy Nominee for Best Traditional Pop Performance • 1990 — Judy Niemack — Long As You're Living — Freelance Records • 1991 — Jeri Brown — Mirage — Justin Time • 1992 — Matt Kendrick — Other Aspects — Suitcase • 1992 — Michael Moore quintet — Home Game — Ramboy • 1992 — Harumi Kaneko — Try To Remember — Philips • 1992 — Jack Jones — The Gershwin Album — Columbia/Legacy • 1992 — Various artists (Ana Caram, Paquito D'Rivera, Tom Harrell, and Phil Woods) — JVC Jazz Festival Presents a Night of Chesky Jazz Live — Chesky • 1993 — Jeanfrançois Prins & Judy Niemack — Beauty and the Prince — AMC (new release 2003 GAM) • 1993 — Roseanna Vitro — Softly — Concord Jazz • 1993 — The Matt Kendrick Unit — Composite — Ichiban Records • 1993 — Garrison Fewell — A Blue Deeper Than The Blue — Accurate Records • 1994 — Leny Andrade — Maiden Voyage — Chesky • 1994 — Various artists — The AIDS Quilt Songbook — Nightengale/Harmonia Mundi — featured with an original composition accompanying baritone William Sharp • 1994 — Various artists — Memento Bittersweet — Catalyst — featured on "Tango Bittersweet" • 1994 — Michael Moore — Chicotoumi — Ramboy • 1994 — Byron Olson — Sketches of Coltrane — Angel Records — featured on tracks 6-11 • 1994 — Various artists — Last Night When We Were Young: The Ballad Album — Classical Action — featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13 • 1995 — Royce Campbell With Strings — Waltz for Debby — Paddle Wheel • 1995 — Paul Sundfor — Nascency — Nine Winds Records • 1995 — Chris Connor — Lover Come Back to Me: Live at Sweet Basil — Evidence — recorded on September 25, 1981 • 1995 — Dick Sisto — American Love Song — Jazzen Records • 1996 — Jane Ira Bloom — The Nearness — Arabesque • 1996 — Michael Callen — Legacy — Significant Other — featured on three tracks • 1996 — Dawn Upshaw — Sings Rodgers and Hart — Nonesuch • 1996 — The Rich Perry Quartet — What is This? — SteepleChase • 1996 — Bonnie Lowdermilk — This Heart Of Mine — AxolOtl Jazz — with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey • 1996 — Michael Callen — Legacy — Significant Other Records — featured on three tracks • 1997 — Dominique Eade — When The Wind Was Cool — RCA Victor — featured on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 • 1997 — Gary Burton — Departure — Concord Jazz — with John Scofield, John Patitucci and Peter Erskine • 1997 — Various artists — George Delerue: Music from the Films of François Truffaut — Nonesuch — featured on two tracks • 1997 — Various artists — September Songs: The Music Of Kurt Weill — featured on "Speak Low" • 1998 — Michael Moore Trio — Bering — Ramboy • 1998 — Kelley Johnson — Make Someone Happy — Pipe DreamChartmaker — featured on tracks 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13 • 1998 — Steve LaSpina — Distant Dream — Stepplechase • 1999 — Jane Ira Bloom — The Red Quartets — Arabesque • 1999 — Barbara Sfraga — Oh, What A Thrill — Naxos Jazz — featured on tracks 3, 8, 12 • 1999 — Dawn Upshaw — Sings Vernon Duke — Nonesuch — featured on four tracks • 1999 — Roseanna Vitro — The Time of My Life: Roseanna Vitro Sings the Songs of Steve Allen — See Breeze — recorded 1986 • 1999 — Janis Siegel — The Tender Trap — Monarch Records • 2000 — Mary Pearson — You And I — Arkadia Jazz • 2001 — Roseanna Vitro — Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans — A-Records — featured on tracks 2, 3, 8 • 2001 — Various artists — The Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz Piano Album — Broadway Cares — featured on tracks 5, 6 • 2003 — Jane Ira Bloom — Chasing Paint — Arabesque • 2003 — Harvey Mason — Trios: With All My Heart — VideoArts — featured on one track • 2003 — Luciana Souza — Norte e Sul - North and South — Biscoito Fino/Sunnyside — featured on tracks 4, 5; Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album • 2003 — Andrew Sterman — Blue Canvas with Spiral — Breath River Music • 2005 — Renée Fleming — Haunted Heart — Decca — with Bill Frisell • 2005 — Kate McGarry — Mercy Streets — Palmetto — featured on tracks 6, 9 • 2006 — Audra McDonald — Build A Bridge — Nonesuch — featured on track 6 • 2013 — 3 Cohens — Tightrope — Anzic — with Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen and Yuval Cohen • 2014 — Jill Sobule — Charms — Pink Records — featured on "Lonely Eighty-Eight" • 2014 — Amy London — Bridges — FiveCut Recordings — featured on tracks 1-8 • 2014 — Scott Morgan — Songs Of life — Miranda Music • 2018 — Lorraine Feather — Math Camp — Relarion Inc. — featured on tracks 2, 3, 5, 9 • 2019 — Adrian Cunningham — Adrian Cunningham & His Friends Play Lerner & Loewe — Arbors Records • 2020 — Brian Landrus — For Now — BlueLand Records • 2020 — Will Vinson — Four Forty One — Whirlwind Recordings — featured on "Work"

• Académie Charles Cros • Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship in Composition, 2003 • Coup de coeur for Alone at the Vanguard, 2011 • Grand Prix du Disque for Alive at the Vanguard, 2012 • Pianist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association, 2011, 2016, 2018 • Pianist of the Year, DownBeat magazine Critics' Poll, 2015 • Artiste étranger de l'année, Jazz magazine in France, 2015 • Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie du Jazz, Solo, 2015 • Honorary Doctor of Musical Arts, Northern Kentucky University, 2015 • Doris Duke Performing Artist Award 2016 • Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Grinnell College, 2016 • Prix Honorem in Jazz and Coup de cœur jazz, 2017 • Book of the Year about Jazz, Good Things Happen Slowly, Jazz Journalists Association, 2018 • Hersch has been awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship, grants from Chamber Music America, the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and seven composition residencies at the MacDowell Colony.

Art Farmer's A Work of Art in 1983 and two of Eddie Daniels' albums with Hersch in 1986 and 1987 preceded Short Stories, a collaboration between Janis Siegel and Hersch, co-led and co-produced with arrangements by Hersch, that got a nomination for her vocal performance in 1989. In 1992 finally Dancing in the Dark, his seventh trio recording and second for Chesky Records, was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Hersch is one of the Grammy artists with the most nominations (17) without a win. • 1992: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group for Dancing in the Dark • 1995: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group for I Never Told You: Fred Hersch Plays Johnny Mandel • 2005: Best Instrumental Composition for "Valentine" (on In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis) • 2011: Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Alone at the Vanguard, and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Work" • 2013: Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Song Without Words No.4: Duet" with Julian Lage • 2014: Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Floating (as the Fred Hersch Trio), and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "You and the Night and the Music" • 2016: Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Sunday Night at the Vanguard, and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" • 2017: Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Open Book, and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Whisper Not" • 2018: Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Live in Europe and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "We See" • 2019: Best Instrumental Composition for Begin Again • 2023: Best jazz vocal album for Alive at the Village Vanguard and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for But Not For Me