Nolan Gasser
BIOGRAPHY
Nolan Gasser is a critically acclaimed author, composer, pianist, and musicologist – most notably, the architect of Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project and the company’s chief musicologist from its founding in 2000. His 2019 book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste chronicles the full story behind our individual and deep-seeded love of music: where it comes from and what it says about us. Nolan combines his expert knowledge of music and musical taste with his talents as a professional composer and pianist to bring the music to life in a way rarely experienced—unveiling the story behind the music, and its potent impact on our minds, soul, and body.
Nolan received his Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University and lectures on myriad topics related to music and musical taste at ideas festivals, corporate gatherings, scientific institutions, and public arenas around the world. His TEDx, “Empowering Your Musical Taste” is available on online, as is the ESPN- FiveThirtyEight documentary made on his work on music and healing: “Breaking Music Down to Its Genes”.
As a composer, Nolan’s musical Benny & Joon has been produced at the Old Globe (2017) and Paper Mill Playhouse (2019) theaters on its intended path to Broadway. His classical compositions have been performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, San Francisco Opera, and the Rose Bowl, among many others. His album Border Crossing , featuring original compositions mixing rock, world music, and classical (produced by Gregg Field) will be released in summer 2019. He performs regularly as a pianist and music director in public and private events in styles ranging from rock to jazz to Broadway to classical.
Nolan is available for speaking engagements, as well as for performing and composition engagements. For more information on Nolan and his various projects, see his website: www.nolangasser.com
To contact him and his representatives, see the Contact page on this site.