Erica von Kleist

Multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer Erica von Kleist began her career as a saxophonist and flautist in the New York jazz scene. A native of Connecticut, Erica moved to the city to study at the renowned Juilliard School and in 2004 earned the first bachelor’s degree in jazz in the school’s history. After graduation, Erica’s next ten years were met with performances, tours and several recordings with various artists including the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Chris Potter, Sean Jones, Rufus Reid, The Addams Family on Broadway among others. Honored with two ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards, several mentions in Downbeat’s annual Readers and Critics Polls, and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, Erica extended her scope as a bandleader with the release of five commercial albums, one as a co-collaboration with tap dancer DeWitt Fleming Jr., live at Dizzy’s Club NYC.

A teacher for over 20 years, Erica has always had a passion for education. In 2019 she released “A Cool Approach to Jazz Theory” a jazz theory workbook that has been used as a curriculum for middle and high school jazz programs worldwide. As a clinician, Erica has lectured in music business and performance at institutions including The Juilliard School and UNC, and has been an adjudicator for the Essentially Ellington Festival, and a faculty member for Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz Program. Most recently Erica was the Visiting Lecturer in Jazz at Williams College and is currently a faculty member for The Center of Career Readiness & Impact and the BFA Online program at The Manhattan School of Music.

During her ten-year stint living in Whitefish, MT, Erica began several business endeavors including a nonprofit organization that brought live music to nursing homes and care facilities and a booking agency that provided music for private events and weddings. She also paired up with some talented local filmmakers and writers and in 2020 co-produced an award-winning musical comedy film “Your Musical is Cancelled. The Musical!”. Having sparked her love of comedy, Erica is now back in NYC developing her work as a one-woman jazz comedy writer and performer. A recipient of the Creative Residency Grant from the South Arts foundation, Erica brought her band from NYC to Montana in early 2026 for a performance which was filmed for a feature-length docustory detailing Erica’s experiences as a woman in jazz and finding a new voice through comedy. The release of this film comes right on the heels of “Picc Pocket”, her critically-acclaimed fifth album and the first ever all-jazz piccolo record. As of now Erica is gearing up to tour both projects into 2027 and beyond.