Bio
Gregory Golub is an Israeli composer, jazz pianist, arranger, songwriter, and independent producer whose work spans jazz, contemporary classical and popular instrumental music, and song. Born in Zaporozhye, then part of the Soviet Union and now in Ukraine, he has been based in Israel since 1990.
His music is shaped by improvisation and melodic character, while his open approach to style allows it to move across a wide range of genres.
Golub began playing piano at the age of 12 and later studied music in Russia and Ukraine. In 1980, he received a prize for Best Original Jazz Composition at a jazz festival in Saratov, Russia. Since moving to Israel, he has built an independent body of work encompassing jazz compositions, instrumental music, original songs, and poetry. He has created and performed seven solo programs based on his own work.
The latest program, Enjoy 35+, was presented in Tel Aviv in July 2026.
He released his first album, Idioms, in 2004. His 2019 album Jazz Aftertaste brought together 12 original compositions spanning blues, boogie, Latin influences, and electronic textures. On November 30, 2025, he released African and Other Jazz Passions, a 12-track album on his own label, Gregory Golub Music Concept. The album draws on African, Latin, Spanish, and Middle Eastern musical traditions while centering on Golub’s pianistic voice and compositional style.
African and Other Jazz Passions reached No. 1 on JAZZIZ Discovery’s Inside Track chart in the United States and was featured in Japan’s The Walker’s magazine. It received press coverage and radio airplay in the United States and across Europe. The album has been included in the collections of several major international institutions, including the Library of Congress, Columbia University’s Music & Arts Library, the British Library Sound Archive, Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, the Klaus-Kuhnke-Institut for Popular Music in Bremen, the National Library of Hungary, and the National Library of Israel.
Golub’s music has received international recognition. “African Passions” was an Official Nominee in the Jazz (Fusion/Bebop) category at the 2026 Hollywood Independent Music Awards. “African Passions” and “Waltz–Rag” received Special Prizes at the Ise-Shima International Composition Competition. “Waltz–Rag” also received a Bronze Medal from the Global Music Awards and was a finalist at the InterContinental Music Awards.
Golub also writes about jazz and musicians. His All About Jazz articles include “Nicole Zuraitis: A Concept of Intrigue,” a profile of the Grammy-winning vocalist, and “Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach: When Jazz Is Like Love,” an interview with the duo. He is a Professional Voting Member of the Jazz Journalists Association.
In 2026, Golub created the experimental psychological short film Horror Tale for Night Fantasies and composed its original score. The film received six music awards for Best Music Score, as well as several nominations recognizing its experimental character.
Golub is a voting member of the HMMA Academy.
Golub’s composition Reminiscences: Idiom in 3 Parts was selected for the international electroacoustic exhibition MUSLAB—KARMA 2026 in Ecuador.
Gregory Golub continues to create independently across jazz and instrumental music, developing a personal musical language marked by stylistic range and a distinctive voice.
