Jelani Eddington is a concert artist celebrated for his outstanding performances on the theatre pipe organ and piano. His technical skill and expressive interpretation have garnered him widespread acclaim and a loyal following on the concert circuit.
Throughout his career, Jelani has participated in many national and regional American Theatre Organ Society conventions. He has toured extensively around the world and produced over 30 albums featuring theatre organ music, recorded on some of the finest and most dynamic instruments in the country. In addition to performing, he also teaches other musicians the art of playing the theatre organ.
About Jelani’s early years
Jelani was born in Muncie, Indiana, and raised in a musical family. With a mother who taught music professionally for many years and a grandmother who was a respected piano instructor, it was no surprise that Jelani showed an early interest in music. He began taking piano lessons at age four and soon began studying classical piano under his grandmother’s guidance.
At the age of eight, he took a trip to the Paramount Music Palace in Indianapolis to listen to the four-manual, 42-rank Wurlitzer organ. This experience introduced him to the captivating sound of the theatre pipe organ. Soon after, he began classical organ lessons and eventually studied theatre organ under the internationally acclaimed instructor John Ferguson.
At 13, Jelani won the ATOS Young Theatre Organist Competition, defeating competitors aged 13 to 21 from the United States, England, Australia, and New Zealand. He remains the youngest person ever to win this title.
Star Wars: a suite success
In 2014, Jelani became the first—and so far, the only—theatre organist whose performance video went viral. Within just a few weeks, his rendition of John Williams’ Star Wars Symphonic Suite garnered over 1 million views on YouTube across more than 200 countries. To date, the video has surpassed 3 million views.
Beyond the organ world
Jelani graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University in 1996 and obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1999. He currently practices law in Wisconsin; previously, he also practiced in New York, where he was living and working on September 11, 2001. He shares his memories of that day here.