Caelan Cardello
The son of a percussionist father and a music-loving mother, Caelan Cardello was born in New Jersey surrounded by music. By the time he began playing piano, he had already been introduced to artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and the Beatles, as well as classical music and jazz. The first piece he learned was “Linus and Lucy” from Charlie Brown.
“Caelan Cardello’s got it. All of it. Heart, brains, dimension, drama, imagination, taste, time, spirit, blues, nuance, virtuosity, variety, and personality. He communicates directly from the piano, telling his story, with optimism and depth, intelligence and passion.”
—Bill Charlap
Caelan began piano lessons at age five, and by seven was training formally in both jazz and classical music. At 15, he turned his focus exclusively to jazz under the mentorship of Fred Hersch, whose guidance gave him the confidence to fully commit to the genre. After graduating from high school, Caelan found another invaluable mentor in his Jersey City neighbor, pianist Dave Kikoski.
Caelan earned a BM from William Paterson University and an MM from The Juilliard School. Between degrees, he refined his improvisational technique under the guidance of percussionist Joe Farnsworth. His involvement with Jazz House Kids in Montclair, New Jersey, further shaped his artistic voice.
As his artistry has evolved, Caelan has found equal inspiration in jazz greats such as Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly and Phineas Newborn, as well as in his peers. Hearing musicians of his own generation discover their own voices in jazz continues to shape his creative process.
Extended Bio
Caelan Cardello is a New York City–based pianist, composer, and a 2023 American Piano Awards laureate.
He won the 2021 BMI Foundation Future Jazz Masters Award and received an Honorable Mention from the National YoungArts Foundation in 2017 and 2018. He also earned Outstanding Soloist at the Charles Mingus High School Competition & Festival.
Caelan began playing piano at the age of five. Within two years, he began formal training in classical and jazz music under pianist and arranger Allen Farnham and Juilliard alum Steve Masi. He later secured mentorships with a number of musicians, including Fred Hersch, Dave Kikoski, and Bill Charlap.
Caelan has appeared at venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival, and Dizzy’s. He also frequently performs at local clubs in New York City, including Smalls, Django, Side Door, The Black Cat, Birdland, Cellar Dog, and Ornithology. Internationally, Caelan’s performances have spanned Canada for the Montreal Jazz Festival, as well as France, Switzerland, and Japan.
As a featured artist with the Jazz House Kids in Montclair, New Jersey, Caelan has collaborated with acclaimed musicians including Jimmy Cobb, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney, and Christian McBride.
Caelan earned his BM from William Paterson University in 2022, where he studied under Bill Charlap and the late Harold Mabern, and his MM from The Juilliard School in 2025, where he studied under Jerome Lowenthal. During his time there, he also studied under Bill Charlap and the late Harold Mabern. When not performing, Caelan devotes his attention to furthering his musical studies in performance, composition, arrangement, film score, and digital music technology.