Anthony Elison

ADJUNCTS
Adjunct
Music

Email: aelison@westminsteru.edu

About

Tony Elison is a musician, composer, and educator based in Salt Lake City. He has been an active participant in the Salt Lake City music scene for ten years and is one of the most sought-after contemporary pianists and keyboardists in the area. He can be found performing several times weekly at local establishments in and around the city.

Tony has been recently featured on a selection of 2024 releases from Salt Lake City-based record label Westmoon Records, namely David Ian Baker’s The Great, Great Noise, and as part of guitarist Nathan Royal’s trio on their record Lotus Blossom. He is also the keyboardist for the local band Hearfolk, an experimental group that draws upon multiple styles of music, including jazz, blues, Americana, ambient music, bluegrass, old time, and various world traditions. Hearfolk can be heard performing regularly both as a standalone instrumental trio as well as the supporting group for singer-songwriter-banjoist Melissa Chilinski.

Tony completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and studied under renowned educators Kris Johnson and John Petrucelli, and alongside local legends Courtney Isaiah Smith and Melanie Shore. As his capstone project for the University of Utah’s Honors Degree, he composed a suite of original music for a 10-piece chamber group consisting of jazz sextet and string quartet. Entitled Keyframe, the suite was completed in the spring of 2020 and presented at the 2020 Issues in Contemporary Jazz Conference composers’ forum.


Anthony Elison