Vijay Iyer is a jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, producer, and electronic musician who has been described by Pitchfork Magazineas “one of the most interesting and vital jazz pianists today.” During his time at Cal Iyer shifted disciplines, moving from a Ph.D. in Physics to an interdisciplinary degree that combined technology and the arts. Since the mid-1990s Iyer has been performing with jazz legends like Steve Coleman and George Lewis. In 2013 Iyer was a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and in 2014 he joined the faculty of Harvard University.