Jesse Greenberg is a Queens-based percussionist, keyboardist, composer, and arts educator. Using yarn mallets and bows on glockenspiel, Jesse engages reimaginations of one of childhood’s most familiar instruments, performing with the troubadour-inspired trio Zamler-Carhart/Rauh/Greenberg, with LCollective, as a soloist, and as a glassy ruckus, an acoustic trio that weaves together modal improv, folk storytelling, and circular melodies. He is the founding percussionist and composer-in-residence with the ensemble, ShoutHouse, whose debut album Cityscapes was released on New Amsterdam records in June 2019.
As a percussionist, Jesse has been featured at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, (le) Poisson Rouge, The Greene Space, the Juilliard School, Festival Les Troubadours chantent l’art roman in the Languedoc region of France, and on NPR’s New Sounds. He also performs on keyboards with artists including Tiff Ortiz and Naeemah Z. Maddox. Jesse is also one half of Circus Dreams, a lifelong project with his father, David Greenberg.
As a composer, Jesse’s work draws from maze-like medieval melodies and improvisation, often incorporating influences from visual art and nature. His music for small chamber ensembles usually emphasizes communication and sometimes contains an element of instrumental theater. His music has been featured in CISUM’s Composing for Percussion festival, Vassar College’s ModFest, the Piano+ series, Harlem Arts Festival, Varisound Concert Series, and received the Jean Slater Edson Prize.
He gives private piano, percussion, and composition lessons and is a teaching artist in the NYC public schools through 92nd Street Y’s Discover Music program.
Score for “Jubilation” from “six little spiels” premiered by CISUM percussion at their Composing for Percussion festival 
score map of Ancient Tools, first draft 
performing with ShoutHouse at (le) Poisson Rouge for the Cityscapes album release show (June 2019) photo by Brandon Ilaw 
Performing in the 14th century Eglise de Blassac, with Zamler-Carhart/Rauh/Greenberg 
LCollective premiering “wheel” at Piano+ #8 at spectrum (Brooklyn, NY) 
Performing Larry Polansky’s B’midbar with LCollective at spectrum. 
Playing synth with Tiff Ortiz at c’mon everybody (Brooklyn, NY) 
Zamler-Carhart/Rauh/Greenberg at Composers Now Festival (DiMenna Center) 
