Music like Austin Peralta

Austin Topper Peralta (October 25, 1990 – November 21, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer from Los Angeles, California. He was the son of film director and Z-Boys skateboarder Stacy Peralta.

Austin Peralta was born on October 25, 1990 to filmmaker Joni Caldwell and Z-Boys skateboarder and film director Stacy Peralta. Peralta started playing piano at the age of five and quickly became a prodigious player. At age 10 whilst learning classical piano, he developed an interest in jazz when a friend gave him a Bill Evans CD. Peralta studied classical piano for five years at Pepperdine University and later with noted jazz pianist Alan Pasqua and saxophonist Buddy Collette. In 2003 at age 12, Peralta was awarded the Shelly Manne New Talent Award by the Los Angeles Jazz Society, which was presented to him by Quincy Jones. In addition to the piano, Peralta also played the upright bass, drums and saxophone. He was an honor student at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica.