Tom Oren – Dark Lights (2026) | Jazz Piano, Monk Competition Winner Interview

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with NYC-based jazz pianist and composer Tom Oren. We dive into his 2026 album Dark Lights on Anzic Records, along with his roots in Tel Aviv and a rapidly rising international career. This trio recording showcases an extraordinary blend of boundary-pushing technique, deep musical imagination, and a rare ability to tell vivid, emotional stories through sound. A winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, Oren has established himself as a creative force in modern jazz. Beyond his jazz work, he has also made a strong impact in classical and orchestral settings. In 2021, he composed a dynamic and kaleidoscopic score for director Avi Nesher’s award-winning film Image of Victory. The soundtrack, released in 2022 on Sony Music Masterworks, highlights his ability to fuse classical influences with a forward-thinking jazz language. This conversation explores creativity, storytelling through music, and the evolution of a world-class jazz artist. 👉 Get the album & more: https://www.tomoren.com/ 🎧 In this episode: The making of Dark Lights (2026) Tom Oren’s jazz trio sound and vision Winning the Thelonious Monk Piano Competition Blending jazz with classical and film scoring From Tel Aviv roots to the NYC jazz scene 👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more in-depth jazz interviews and artist stories. For More Neon Jazz: Shows via MixCloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/neonjazzkc/Subscribe via Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/neonjazzkcSubscribe via iTunes/Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/famous-interviews-joe-dimino/id546432639?mt=2 The Home of Neon Jazz:http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/ Contribute to Neon Jazz via PayPal:                    https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ER  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.