Cross Island

Pianist Elinor Abrams Zayas is well-known to Long Islanders as a piano soloist, chamber musician, collaborative artist and educator. 

She studied at Juilliard’s Pre-College Program under Howard Aibel and Leonard Eisner. Her undergraduate piano studies at the Manhattan School of Music were with Constance Keene, and with Artur Balsam for Chamber Music, and also included Jazz studies with David Friedman and Valerie Capers. 

Her graduate work at Manhattan was with Robert Helps, who introduced her to contemporary music and the techniques of Abby Whiteside, and she did subsequent Whiteside studies with Sophia Rosoff. 

In addition to CROSS ISLAND, Ms. Zayas  performs as half of 4 Hands Over Paumanok,  a 1-piano, 4-hands piano duo with Laura Mara. She formed the chamber ensemble Nepenthe in 1984, and the group performed widely on Long Island, and had a subscription concert series at Bay Shore’s Boulton Center during its initial season. She has appeared as a soloist at various venues on Long Island and in New York City, including Trinity Church, Christ and St. Stephen’s Church,  and St. Peter’s Church. She also performed on the Friends of the Arts Beethoven Festival at Planting Fields Arboretum and has recorded with the string jazz group Crossroad, led by composer/bassist Reynard Burns.

Ms. Zayas has worked as a Musical Director at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, NY, and as pianist for such dance companies as Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Dance Theater of Harlem and Principal Accompanist for the Long Island Children’s Choir, with performances at the Tilles Center, Molloy College, Queens College, and Adelphi University, and has also performed  with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and Chorus at Carnegie Hall. 

She is a native of  Brightwaters, where she maintains a private piano studio. She has served on the music faculties of Hofstra University, Five Towns College, and the Sachem School district.