Andrew Moorhead
Biography Andrew Moorhead
Andrew Moorhead
was born in Houston, Texas. He studied physics and piano at the University of Texas. During his studies and after graduating in 2006 he was an active player in Austin, whose rich and multifaceted music scene provided multiple contexts (jazz, metal, R&B) in which to develop. During this time he was privileged to make music with Carter Arrington, Philippe Vieux, John Fremgen, Eric Hargett, Jon Blondell, Brannen Temple, Dwayne Jackson (aka D-madness), Jason Marsalis, Sam Lipman, Ed Miles, Chris Maresh, and more.
Andrew moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2008 to pursue a PhD in mathematics. He studied with the great Art Lande, also playing in a free improvisation group with him, and performed widely on the Denver jazz scene with Brad Goode, John Lake, Josh Quinlan, Serafin Sanchez, John Gunther, John Grigsby, Greg Garrison, Greg Tanner Harris, Danny Meyer, Ed Breazeale, and more. In 2011 Andrew’s life was interrupted by a 47 foot fall that resulted in a three month hospitalization and a lengthy subsequent period of total disability. His current method of playing has developed from the necessity of accommodating spinal cord damage impacting both legs and an immobile right wrist. During the years in which he was unable to play piano he became interested in making electronic music and built a synthesizer with the C programming language which is featured on the first and last tracks of his debut album Interleaved.
Andrew went back to school in 2015 and completed his PhD in 2017. He has since published original mathematical research in various international journals, delivered lectures on modern algebra in several different countries, and worked as a professor at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Charles University in Prague, and the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
Andrew's music is a blend of various styles and genres. Chief among his influences are Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Allan Holdsworth, Brahms, Steve Reich, Boards of Canada, and Aphex Twin. His musical ideal is to synthesize his musical influences with structures derived from combinatorics and his ideal is brought to life by the expertise of his old friend Marcos Varela and the venerable drumming of Ari Hoenig. He is currently making an album with drummer and mathematician Robin Chestnut, who is an old friend and inspiration. He currently lives in Boulder, Colorado and plans to relocate to Dresden in Germany by the end of 2023.
