Conun Pappas - Onward (2023)

Onward is an adventurous collection of 6 original compositions recorded May 2022 in New York City. Following March 2020, I lost all of my work and had a large amount of time to study and reflect on music and myself during the COVID-19 pandemic. As I started performing again in 2021, I found a new sense of creativity and purpose. This album not only reflects past musical interests, but it also shares new and pivotal experiences I’ve had over the past 5 years.

Conun Pappas co-leads “The Bridge Trio” with drummer Joe Dyson and bassist Max Moran. He also performs in New York City with distinguished artists such as Brianna Thomas and Majid Khaliq. In 2014, he received a Piano Legacy Award from the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. In addition to performing, he is also an active educator; working with organizations such as Carnegie Hall, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He also served as the musical director at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in the Bronx from 2014 -2019. As a composer, he was awarded a NPR Heavy Rotation Public Radio Song of 2013 with “125th and Broadway” along with placements on VH1, MTV, American Heroes Channel, Bravo, and Discovery Channel. In 2016, Conun received a Gambit 40 Under 40 Award for his bright and innovative work in the arts. His playing and compositions are firmly entrenched in the style and vocabulary of modern jazz, but his music and reach continues to expand categories.