Nir Felder
Background information
Born	(1982-12-30) December 30, 1982 New York City
Genres	Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, producer
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Website	nirfelder.com

Nir Felder (born Dec 30, 1982) is a Grammy-winning American jazz and session guitarist, composer, and music producer. In addition to leading his own band, Felder has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists across the jazz and popular music genre spectrum, including Diana Krall, Brad Mehldau, John Mayer, Rina Sawayama, Ben Platt, Chaka Khan, Keyon Harrold, Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, PJ Morton, Snarky Puppy, Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Erykah Badu, Common, Anderson .Paak, Dave Chapelle, Dave Matthews Band, Benson Boone, Gov’t Mule, Ben Stiller, Vulfpeck, Hiromi, Fred Armisen, Cory Wong, Christian Scott, Brockhampton, Cautious Clay, Faith Evans, Skylar Grey, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Blood Sweat and Tears, Chuck Mangione, Greg Osby, Jordan Smith, Amy Schumer, Victor Wooten, Shoshana Bean, Jack DeJohnette, Esperanza Spalding, Bobby McFerrin, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dianne Reeves, the New York City Opera, and others.^[1] In both 2021 and 2023, he won Downbeat Magazine's Critic's Poll for "Rising Star Guitarist."

Early life

Nir Felder was born December 30, 1982, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. After living between Washington Heights, Harlem, and Manhattan’s Upper West Side, his family moved to the New York City suburbs of Hartsdale, NY in 1987 and Katonah, NY in 1994.

He attended John Jay High School from 1997 to 2001 and The Berklee School of Music from 2001 to 2005.^[2] While at Berklee he was the recipient of the Billboard Endowed Scholarship, as well as the college’s Jimi Hendrix Award, and Stephen D. Holland Award.

Career

In 2010, Felder was lauded as the “next big jazz guitarist” by NPR. In 2013, Felder signed to Sony Masterworks and released his first solo album “Golden Age” under their Okeh imprint in 2014.^[3][4]

His second album “II” was released by Ropeadope Records in 2020.

Educational

Felder has been a faculty member at The New School’s College of Performing Arts since 2016 and an associate professor at Berklee College of Music since 2020.

He has also taught at Italy’s Fondazione Siena Jazz since 2012, at workshops at the Banff Centre and in Langnau, Switzerland and given masterclasses at Arnhem Conservatory, the Cultural Center de Belem, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles College of Music, the University of North Texas, Hunter College, Humber College, the University of Toronto, the University of Wisconsin Parkside, LACHSA and many others.

Film, TV, and Broadway appearances

Felder appears in the Netflix special “Live from Radio City Music Hall” accompanying Ben Platt. He has also performed with various musical acts on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center, Good Morning America, Late Night with Seth Myers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the US Open Tennis Championships, as well as in the house bands of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Maya and Marty shows.

He has played in the pit orchestras of the Broadway shows “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”, “The Book of Mormon” and “& Juliet”, as well as participating in workshops for upcoming shows.

Awards and honors

In 2010, Felder was called "The Next Big Jazz Guitarist" by NPR.^[5]  The station also occasionally uses Felder's song "Bandits" as theme music on several of its shows, including "Fresh Air" hosted by Terry Gross.

In 2013, Felder won a Grammy award for his work as guitarist on Terri Lyne Carrington's "Money Jungle," awarded "Best Jazz Instrumental Album."

In both 2021 and 2023, he won Downbeat Magazine's Critic's Poll for "Rising Star Guitarist."

Equipment

Felder mainly plays a 1995 Made-In-Mexico Fender Tex-Mex Stratocaster guitar, which he purchased in 1996 at age 13.  He uses a custom pedalboard designed by Johnny Gomez in Los Angeles, and various Marshall, Fender, and Vox amplifiers.  He is endorsed by Taylor Guitars, Paul Reed Smith Guitars, Yamaha, Moollon Guitars, F Bass, Richard Heeres, D'addario Strings, Moody Leather Straps, Universal Audio, and Jerry Harvey Audio.  

Discography

References

Further reading

• Chinen, Nate. (July 12, 2013). Jazz. The New York Times. 162(56195): 15. ISSN 0362-4331
• Garelick, Jon. (January 28, 2014). Nir Felder, 'Golden Age'. The Boston Globe.
• Katzif, Michael. (February 4, 2014). Watch Jazz Guitarist Nir Felder Play Live At Rockwood. Soundcheck. WNYC.
• Lockwood, Wayne. (February 4, 2014). Record Store Tuesday: Guitarist Nir Felder forges his own "Golden Age" with debut CD. Daily News. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
• Orr, Dacey. (November 21, 2013). Song Premiere: Nir Felder – "Lights". Paste.
• Simon, Travis. Kogan, Josh. (March 5, 2014). Undergrowth Episode 36 – Nir Felder. The Undergrowth.