Peter Lin is a Taiwanese-American trombonist, producer, and educator based in New Jersey & New York City. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in northern New Jersey, Peter played violin and piano before picking up the trombone at 10 years old. His love for music continued, motivating him to pursue a jazz studies degree at the esteemed music programs of William Paterson University (undergraduate) and Rutgers University (graduate). Since then, he has become an integral part of the music scene, performing and sharing the stage with renowned artists including Ron Carter, Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Charli Persip, Jerry Weldon, George Cables, Valerie Ponomarev, JD Allen, Josh Evans, and Radam Schwartz. He also spent a considerable amount of time studying with his influences, including trombone masters Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Steve Davis, and Frank Lacy. He continues to perform prolifically as both a leader and sideman at established venues in the tri-state area such as Carnegie Hall, NJPAC, Blue Note, Dizzy’s, Birdland, Smalls, and Zinc Bar.
In 2018, Peter released his first album, With Respect, which included his arrangements on classic Chinese and Taiwanese folk songs. Featuring Winard Harper on drums as well as James Zollar on trumpet, this album topped at #3 on the NACC Charts and #4 on the RMR Charts. In 2019, he released his second album, New Age Old Ways, which included eight original compositions and features JD Allen on tenor saxophone. Additionally, the album included an original comic book illustrated by Kelly Lin.
Peter Lin leads the AAPI Jazz Collective, which features some of the best up-and-coming AAPI musicians in the NYC area. The group performs arrangements of classic songs from various Asian countries re-imagined in a new modern way as well as exciting originals. This group has performed at various festivals and venues, but also continues to play every year for the Met Museum’s Lunar New Year celebration.
In addition to Peter’s prolific musical career, he continues to promote jazz education, holding a prestigious faculty position at Melissa Walker & Christian McBride’s non-profit organization, Jazz House Kids, as well as NJYS in New Providence, NJ. He teaches lessons, masterclasses, and provides tech consultations on a regular basis. Valuing entrepreneurship, Peter founded Yardbird Entertainment, along with his partner Abel Mireles, which has become a leading music production company. Peter produced the first AAPI Jazz Fest back in 2022 held at Rutgers Newark, which continues to this day.