"Imagine recombining the musical DNA of Herbie, Keith, and Chick with a samba band and you've got a notion of what piano phenom Vana Gierig's latest CD is like...an abundance of fresh compositional brainstorms for revitalizing the piano trio. No moment is rote; and even the brash experiments are elegant. I'd steal all his good ideas if I had virtuosic technique."
- Keyboard Magazine

"His original compositions are moving and full of beautiful transformations. And while he (gets) himself into daring improvisations..., he never lost sight of the composition itself, bringing melodies back with new and different weight."
- Roberta on the Arts.com

VANA GIERIG is one of New York's premier jazz pianists and composers. His award-winning, virtuosic performance style and musical direction has been recognized worldwide and has been integral to many international tours and recordings by artists such as Regina Carter, Rachelle Ferrell, Lena Horne, George Howard, Special EFX, Najee, Warren Hill, Will Downing, Angela Bofill and many others.

Vana is also the co-producer, artistic musical director, pianist and a composer on Regina Carter's historic Verve/Universal recording called Paganini: After a Dream (April '03). As executive producer, Vana was deeply involved in the vision and realization of the idea for Regina to become the first non-classical musician to be allowed to perform on Paganini's world-famous violin (a priceless Italian national treasure under constant guard, now owned by the city of Genoa).

In September 2003, Vana was hired by Sex & The City (HBO) to compose a solo piano piece ("The Dinner") for their long advertised season finale with Mikhail Baryshnikov. The over 3 minute piece was composed for the intimate late night dinner scene Sarah Jessica Parker has with Mr. Baryshnikov. His compositions have also been solicited by the Emmy award-winning PBS program City Arts and BET's Bet on Jazz, among others. Three of his compositions from his Small Regrets album are featured on the soundtrack of the independent motion picture Sins of Fate.

His countless live TV performances include a 2002 PBS appearance on An Evening with the Boston Pops, BET's Jazz Central, Treffpunkt Kultur on ORF 2 in Austria, CBS' 60 Minutes II, CNN and PBS and A&E live appearances, NBC's Today Show, FOX and Telemundo Live from the Blue Note in New York, Nancy Wilson's Show and numerous international TV appearances including Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Curacao, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Holland, and England.