Pianist Recording Artist Keyboardist Composer Arranger Session Player Instructor
Brian Turner is an internationally-acclaimed pianist, composer, and recording artist who has been thrilling audiences throughout North America for 25 years. Brian’s diverse repertoire has earned him the opportunity to share the stage with a wide array of well-known and accomplished musicians, most-recently with American Idol winner Caleb Johnson.
From churches to arenas, concert halls to festivals, Brian excels musically on any stage. Most recently Brian opened for rock legends KISS for the first half of their Freedom To Rock Tour performing 18 shows for over 100,000 people in arenas across the U.S. and Canada. He is also keyboard player with Meat Loaf’s Neverland Express.
As a performer, he has shared the stage with such legendary musicians as KISS, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett, Cheap Trick, Jason Bonham, Michael Anthony, Meatloaf’s Neverland Express, Luke Combs, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Bolton, Clay Aiken, Warren Haynes, Cliff Williams, Artimus Pyle, Olga Kern, Steep Canyon Rangers, Umphrey’s McGee, Gov’t Mule, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Shenandoah, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bernie Worrell, Marcus King and many others. Brian can be seen on FOX's American Idol season 13, live on LA Today morning news and in an Interscope Records music video with Caleb Johnson and Marie Digby. Brian performs regularly with Grammy Award-winners and recorded with Producer Karl Richardson.
An accomplished composer of solo piano music, Brian’s solo piano album Ascension has gained world-wide attention and his music was selected for the official iOS New Age Piano app with over one million downloads worldwide. He has recorded several other solo piano albums as well as recorded as a session player on dozens of records. Brian’s compositions have been featured in podcasts, online radio, and film and has charted in the top 20 on the Zone Music Charts.
Brian began playing the piano over 25 years ago, and by age 12 was performing professionally for audiences across Northeast Ohio. Following high school he attended Ohio University, studying with renowned pianist Richard Syracuse and earning degrees in piano performance and pedagogy. He performed with a variety of groups at the collegiate level, from accompanying other classical musicians to joining larger ensembles to forming popular local rock groups headlining in clubs. After college, Brian relocated to Asheville, NC, where he has established a thriving piano studio in West Asheville and performs regularly as a solo musician and as a member and bandleader of Orange Krush, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Jazz Orchestra and other local bands and ensembles. He is pianist/organist at Higgins United Methodist Church.
Brian is highly-accomplished in a wide variety of genres, including classical, pop, jazz, church and electronic music. His music is available on iTunes and most major platforms.