Trivia

Recorded numerous best-selling albums for RCA Victor and Columbia during the 1960s and 1970s, "Hail the Conquering Nero" making the top-ten on the Billboard album charts in 1963.

The pianist occasionally performs his set by playing a classical piece of music as an introduction before segueing into the actual song: Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" with Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune" with "Body and Soul", etc.

Jazz pianist/composer/conductor.

Music director of the Philadelphia-based Philly Pops Orchestra since 1979.

He has earned two Grammy Awards.

By the time he was 14, he was accepted to New York City's High School of Music & Art and won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music.

In 1963, Nero composed and performed the musical score for the motion picture Sunday in New York. The title song has been recorded by over two dozen vocalists, and the score was nominated for both a Golden Globe and Hollywood Reporter Award.

Father of Beverly Nero.

Father-in-law of David Moscoe.

He started his formal music training at the age of seven.

By popular demand, four of his earlier recordings have been reissued.

In an interview with Keyboard Magazine, Ray Charles was asked who his favorite pianist was. "Art Tatum could play anything he wanted to," Charles replied, "...and Peter Nero plays his buns off!".

His first major national TV success came at the age of 17 when he was chosen to perform Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on Paul Whiteman's TV special. He subsequently appeared on many top variety and talk shows, including 11 guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and numerous appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

His TV credits include performances on PBS-TV's Piano Pizzazz and with the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., on its July 4 special titled A Capitol Fourth.

Nero has worked with notable musicians including Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Arthur Fiedler, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Diane Schuur, Johnny Mathis, Roger Kellaway and Elton John.

Nero recorded an album in 1961, and won a Grammy Award that year for Best New Artist. Since then, he has received another Grammy, garnered 10 additional nominations and released 67 albums.

Nero was the founding music director of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, which he led from 1979 to 2013.

Nero served as music director and pianist for the PBS-TV special The Songs of Johnny Mercer: Too Marvelous for Words (1997) with co-stars Johnny Mathis, Melissa Manchester and many members of The POPS.

He recorded Peter Nero and Friends where he collaborated with Mel Torme, Maureen McGovern, Doc Severinsen and others.

Nero recorded his first album under the name of Bernie Nerow in July 1957 under the Mode label MOD-LP117 which shows his technical virtuosity in the jazz genre.

From 1990 to 1999, Nero was also Pops Music Director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting and performing with his jazz trio throughout Southeastern Florida.

Nero's recordings include albums with symphony orchestras: On My Own, Classical Connections and My Way.

He also made an appearance in the film Sunday in New York with Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, and Cliff Robertson. In the film, Jane Fonda's character gave her brother (Robertson) a Nero recording.

Constance Keene, his teacher and mentor, once wrote in an issue of Keyboard Classics "Vladimir Horowitz was Peter's greatest fan!" He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1956.

Nero is active in many charitable causes, including the funding of school music programs, fund raising for the building of new arts centers across the country, and research on cancer, dystonia and autism.

Nero's latest albums Love Songs for a Rainy Day and More in Love focus on romantic themes.

Hailed as one of the premier interpreters of Gershwin, Nero starred in the Emmy Award-winning S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin (1972).

He most recently appeared on Rod Stewart's album As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II.

Nero's early association with RCA Victor produced 23 albums in eight years. His subsequent move to Columbia Records resulted in the million-selling single and album Summer of '42.

Nero favors Steinway concert grand pianos.

In 1999, he received the Pennsylvania Distinguished Arts Award from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge; previous honorees include Marian Anderson, James Michener, Andrew Wyeth and Riccardo Muti.

In 2009, Nero was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Federation of Musicians.

He is included on historic Walks of Fame in Philadelphia and Miami, Florida.

In addition to the two Grammy Awards, Nero's honors include six honorary doctorates, the most recent from Drexel University in 2004, and the International Society of Performing Arts Presenters Award for Excellence in the Arts.

He studied piano under Frederick Bried.