Beginning from classical music then switched to jazz world with the professional experiences in piano performance more than 30 years, I possesses not only a profound repertoire in both classical and jazz genre, but also interprets the music from both perspectives in my performance.
“With a confident, graceful tone and a smart harmonic sensibility...with his harmonic concept at its most sophisticated, it’s the record’s best evidence that Hon has a promising career ahead of him in this music.”
— ALL ABOUT JAZZ
I am a New York based pianist, composer and arranger. I've performed in various formats of concert including solo piano, chamber music, collaborative piano, jazz ensemble, jazz orchestra, and contemporary music band with singers. As a pianist and band leader, I've performed in many music venues in New York including Steinway Hall, Club Bonafide, Rockwood Music Hall, ShapeShifter Lab, Tomi Jazz, Williamsburg Music Center, Tishman Auditorium, Queensborough Performing Arts Center Theatre, The Provincetown Playhouse, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, and others. My debut jazz trio album "Before Dawn" featuring Billy Drummond, was released in 2018 with positive media reviews.
Doctor of Piano Performance, UT Austin
Master of Jazz Studies, New York University
Adjunct Professor of Piano, University of Massachusetts Lowell since 2023
Adjunct Instructor of Jazz/Pop Piano, New York University 2015-2017
Steinway & Sons Official Educational Partner since 2019
Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Credits
Discogs verified credits for Francis Hon14 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client
Endorse Francis Hon Music
check_circleVerifiedWonderfully creative and skilled take on my relatively simple composition, which I asked Francis to go wild with. Francis really put all passion and harmonic experience into this performance. Love!
check_circleVerifiedExpertly played, fluent, creative, and tasteful. Highly recommended!
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"Uniquely Brilliant Pianist...Her arrangements and playing style touches your soul."
....Dunn Logan - AKA D. Pat. II 
check_circleVerifiedReally incredible work that I feel so privileged to have. Francis arranged a vocal piece for me and I am having trouble describing just how insane this arrangement ended up being. Deep artistry and skill created a moving and impactful piece that I cannot wait to share. Thank you thank you thank you Francis!
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Francis was brilliant in his approach from start to finish on the development of my track. He was friendly and creative in developing the arrangement, which managed to be both timeless and unique in it's presentation. He was always prompt in his communication and was very responsive when helping me to perfect the track. Technically, the track was expertly recorded and professionally delivered in both WAV and MIDI formats - giving extra flexibility. Francis' playing is outstanding,I highly recommend his masterful playing and fantastic abilities as a musical collaborator. Thank you, Francis.
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Even though I had insufficient music theory understanding, Francis was willing to work with me and was super attentive to my vision for the song. When I first listened to Francis's arrangement, I was left speechless, for it not only fitted perfectly with all of my demands but it went beyond my expectations and basically reshaped the project and offered it the song a new color. Thank you Francis! Can't wait to continue to work with you on this project.
check_circleVerifiedFrancis is a brilliant musician. Everything he played fit elegantly into my composition. There was timely communication and he delivered on all my technical requirements. The job was completed ahead of schedule while also providing exquisite musicianship. Thank you Francis!
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Francis is a fantastic and prodigious musician with great feeling and emotion in his playingLooking forward to working with him again.
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Beautiful arrangement to an old Christmas song with beautiful jazz elements added to it to spice of the piece.
Thank you! - check_circleVerified
Francis was great to work with! He handled the project very well and delivered the project on time. He sent a great demo and multiple versions of the finished product. Highly recommend, and would work with again!
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Francis is a master and his work is masterful!
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Francis is an amazing Pianist and Composer. He completed the work quickly and was very professional.
Francis is very professional, responsive and punctual. Above all he is also a talented pianist who brought my recording to next level, really happy for having him.
I worked with Francis many times in recording session and live performance, he is not only a great pianist but also very knowledgeable about various music genres/styles, chord progression, and theory. All these can be heard in his works of playing and improvisation, highly recommended!
Interview with Francis Hon Music
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The process of inner sound exploration when creating something new with vision, and shape it from imagination to reality, then finally hear it through the speakers.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Have a vision, be able to hear everything in mind before it becomes reality.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My next jazz quartet studio album featuring original compositions.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Smooth, explore the beauty of harmony.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Jazz, classical, and pop.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Piano performance, harmony, improvisation, arrangement.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: "Snooze" by singer-songwriter Henry Tao Ning. We both love the tune "Emily" by jazz pianist Bill Evans, and I composed and recorded the piano arrangement for the song based on the same sound and vibe in "Emily."
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I discuss with client and gather the details as many as possible, including the style, vibe, structure, etc. Then I convert client's vision and imagination to the reality by explore all kinds of possibility on piano, such as register, texture, harmony, chords, etc. Then first version of arrangement/composition will send to client for adjustment, followed by more discussions to accurately depict the sound client wishes for.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Bill Evans, Robert Glasper, Alan Broadbent, Bill Charlap, Brad Mehldau, Diana Krall, Dario Marianelli, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Michael Jackson, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yiruma.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I arrange the piano part in a song or instrumental tune. This include the re-creation and/or re-harmonization of piano, plus embellishment and improvisation to bring more humanity and artistic vibe to fit the style client wants.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I discuss with client and gather the details as many as possible, including the style, vibe, structure, etc. Then I convert client's vision and imagination to the reality by explore all kinds of possibility on piano, such as register, texture, harmony, chords, etc. Then first version of arrangement/composition will send to client for adjustment, followed by more discussions to accurately depict the sound client wishes for.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Bill Evans, Robert Glasper, Alan Broadbent, Bill Charlap, Diana Krall, Dario Marianelli, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Michael Jackson, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yiruma.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I arrange the piano part in a song or instrumental tune. This include the re-creation and/or re-harmonization of piano, plus embellishment and improvisation to bring more humanity and vibe to fit the style client wants.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I discuss with client and gather the details as many as possible, including the style, vibe, structure, etc. Then I convert client's vision and imagination to the reality by explore all kinds of possibility on piano, such as register, texture, harmony, chords, etc. Then first version of arrangement/composition will send to client for adjustment, followed by more discussions to accurately depict the sound client wishes for.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Bill Evans, Robert Glasper, Alan Broadbent, Bill Charlap, Diana Krall, Dario Marianelli, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Michael Jackson, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yiruma.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I arrange the piano part in a song or instrumental tune. This include the re-creation and/or re-harmonization of piano, plus embellishment and improvisation to bring more humanity and vibe to fit the style client wants.
I was the pianist, composer, arranger, and band leader in this production
- PianoAverage price - $350 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $350 per song
- Vocal compingAverage price - $400 per track
Turn-around time 10 business days with 2 free revisions included. Emergency turn-around available. Prices start at $350 but can vary according to the complexity. Full re-writes at additional cost.
- Roland FP-90X Digital Piano
- M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3
- Logic Pro X
- Sibelius
$30 off your next order for a referral that results in a completed project.
- Snooze - Tao NingNov 02, 2021
Very happy to share this beautiful love song by talented Henry Tao Ning. I recorded piano arrangement for it and now finally out on all music platforms! It’s a reflection on Bill Evans’ “Emily” that we both love so much.
YouTube - https://youtu.be/YvU-BErlfiY
- 88 Ravens - Judy (feat. Trenton)Oct 27, 2020
Few months ago, I had an opportunity to compose and record the piano arrangement for this beautiful song “Judy” through SoundBetter. It’s the first single by Australian producer 88 Ravens, now available on all music platforms worldwide.
Listen to it and you’ll find a peace of mind🍃
YouTube - https://youtu.be/jbiOFvp039c
