Grace Leong

Grace Leong is a jazz pianist and music director originally from East Malaysia. Her musical journey began with a fascination for video game soundtracks and gospel music, which eventually led her to perform indie, pop, and rock music across hotels, cruises, and pubs in Macau, Singapore, and Thailand. Pursuing a serious interest in jazz, she attended West Virginia University (WVU), where she received a Fine Arts scholarship and won the 1st runner-up for the WVU Keyboard Festival College Jazz Category and the WVU Young Artist Competition in 2013. She later served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Iowa. Leong has performed with notable ensembles and musicians including Wycliffe Gordon, Orquesta Alto Maiz, Parranderos Latin Combo, the Des Moines Big Band, and Rod Pierson’s ‘Not So Big’ Band. She has been a featured performer at jazz festivals in Iowa (2014, 2015) and West Virginia (2013). As a leader, she released her debut album "Moving Forward" in 2015, featuring original compositions. Her recording credits also include work with saxophonist Jeff Miguel and the Johnson County Landmark Big Band. Now based in Malaysia, she has performed at the Malaysia Jazz Piano Festival 2023, collaborates with Casio Music Malaysia, and remains active as a sessionist and educator, seeking to bridge the gap in jazz education between the United States and Asia. Her influences include Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and Robert Glasper.