Pat Metheny began on trumpet at age eight and switched to guitar at twelve. By fifteen, he was performing regularly with top jazz musicians in Kansas City, gaining valuable on-the-bandstand experience at an unusually young age. Metheny first gained international recognition in 1974 during his three-year collaboration with vibraphonist Gary Burton, where he developed a trademark playing style that combined the loose and flexible articulation of horn players with advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensibility. With the release of his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), he reinvented the traditional jazz guitar sound for a new generation of players.
Throughout his career, Metheny has performed with artists ranging from Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Milton Nascimento, and David Bowie. His work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, ballet pieces, and even robotic instruments in his Orchestrion project. A pioneer in electronic music and instrument development, he has explored the Synclavier, the synthesizer, and custom guitars including the 42-string Pikasso and Ibanez PM series. Metheny has won 20 Grammy Awards, three gold records, and was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2018.
