Art Labriola has been playing piano for as long as he can remember. He likes to say that he pursued a music career simply because it was the path of least resistance.

Born in Manhattan he began formal classical study at the age of four- appearing on radio by the age of ten. After several years of intensive study he abandoned music to make time for a normal adolescence.

It wasn't until later, as an exchange student in London, that he rediscovered the passion of musical performance in the West End jazz scene. He soon set off to master the art of improvisation. After graduating from Amherst College, he moved to New York City to study with noted jazz players Walter Bishop Jr., Hal Galper, Lou Stein, and Andy Laverne. Nights were spent taking courses in composition at the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes School of Music.

Soon Art was touring Europe and Asia as a pianist, keyboard player and musical director-- most notably with The Deep River Boys, an African American singing trio performing forgotten spirituals and obscure jazz pieces. He also toured extensively with The Elliot Murphy Band.

He eventually discovered the recording studio and began and continues his career in film scoring, commercial recording and record production. In that time Art has won a Grammy, an Emmy and a Clio award. He has worked with noted documentary film directors including Barbara Kopple, Joe Lovett, Rob Fruchtman, Lisa Jackson and Civia Tamarkin. For many years Art worked and collaborated with Tom Pomposello with whom he also toured and co-created the group Oil Can.

Today he continues to perform, compose and produce music in his studio located in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York. He created the CD "Winter Day" playing piano while gazing out his window at the white winter landscape. He has also released a Christmas album of familiar songs played in the same contemplative spirit as “Winter Day”.

For Art, music has no end to its discovery. It is the pursuit of this discovery that pushes him forward -- to create new musical directions for himself and his audience.