Luca Sestak
A German pianist, vocalist and composer from Celle — he started posting piano videos to YouTube at age 11, signed with Sony Music in 2019, and today combines classical piano, jazz, blues and boogie-woogie in a trio format.
Musical Influence
Luca Sestak's significance lies in how, as one of very few young European pianists, he has made boogie-woogie and blues piano relevant to an audience that might otherwise associate the genre with an older generation — his early YouTube videos, posted from age eleven onward, have together drawn tens of millions of views and introduced an entirely new audience to the music (Source: boogie-online.de). By signing with Sony Music in 2019 and bridging classical piano tradition, jazz and blues, he has shown that boogie-woogie can carry commercial weight beyond the traditional blues community (Source: Discogs; press coverage). International trade press has called him an "extraordinary musician" and noted that his records "will undoubtedly hold a unique place" in a listener's music collection (Source: Mainly Piano; Paris Move, Thierry De Clemensat).
Formative experiences
- •His father introduced him to the piano at age seven or nine; formal classical training began around age nine (Source: boogie-online.de; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luca_Sestak).
- •A turning point came around age 11.5, while preparing a Beethoven sonata: 'It was after this point that playing the piano began to really give me pleasure' (Source: No Dead Guys interview).
- •Found his way into jazz via a digital demo of Bach's 'Solfeggietto' in a jazz-trio arrangement by Eugen Cicero, around the same age he discovered blues and boogie-woogie on YouTube (Source: No Dead Guys interview).
- •Attended the International Boogie Woogie Festival in Lugano at age 12 in 2007, where he saw Axel Zwingenberger perform (Source: boogie-online.de).
Instruments & Equipment
Other
Official KAWAI piano artist since 2018. On the album 'Lighter Notes' (2024) he 'prepared' the piano with tape and felt strips for a softer, more intimate tone (Source: KAWAI artist page; nodeadguys.com).
Stories & Anecdotes
"His father suggested he start uploading piano videos to YouTube in the platform's early years; Sestak recalls no stage fright because he 'didn't care at all whether anyone watched my videos or not' (Source: nodeadguys.com)."
"At 14 he uploaded a self-arranged piano video that went on to garner over eight million views (Source: nodeadguys.com)."
"On the title of the album 'Lighter Notes,' he has said: 'Lighter... means softer, lighter. It's a reminder to me not to hit the keys so hard' (Source: nodeadguys.com)."
Collaborators
Drummer in the touring trio, featured on the album 'Lighter Notes' (2024) (Source: nodeadguys.com).
Bassist on 'Lighter Notes' (2024), a Pop Academy Mannheim graduate who has also played with Alice Merton and Nick Hakim (Source: nodeadguys.com).
Guest trumpet player on the track 'Blame Game' from 'Lighter Notes' (2024) (Source: nodeadguys.com).
German boogie-woogie pianist, an early idol Sestak saw live at the Lugano festival in 2007 (Source: boogie-online.de).
Watch & Listen
Solfeggietto (C. Ph. E. Bach) - Luca Sestak Trio
Luca Sestak
Watch & Listen
Press & quotes
"Put this one on your Chopin Liszt!"
"An extraordinary musician."
"This album will undoubtedly hold a unique place in your music collection."
Discography
| Year | Title | Producer | Studio | Label | Chart | Sales | Musicians | YouTube | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Lost in Boogie | — | — | — | — | — | — | Debut album. | |
| 2014 | New Way | — | — | — | — | — | — | Second solo album. | |
| 2020 | Right or Wrong | — | — | Sony Music | — | — | — | First release on Sony Music, compared by critics to Jamie Cullum. | |
| 2024 | Lighter Notes | — | — | — | — | — | — | Trio album recorded live with no click tracks; six original tracks and reinterpretations of Chopin, C.P.E. Bach, Friedrich Gulda and 'House of the Rising Sun'. |
Famous songs
Awards & Recognition
External links
Booking / Contact
For France, Wallonia and French-speaking Switzerland, booking runs through Music & Talent (Isabelle Raché Chappellier). General management: Guy Dayan.
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