Bio
Sought after for his versatility, sensitivity and taste, Ian Bent is in high demand as a pianist/keyboardist and arranger in nearly every corner of Halifax’s kaleidoscopic music scene.
Since returning to Halifax after completing his Masters of Music at the University of Montreal, Ian has performed with dozens of projects, in a tremendous range of styles, from Klezmer (with Oy Gevalt, and the Halifax Klezmorim) to Tango (Libertango), Chamber music, 16th-century sacred polyphony, Jazz, Indie Rock, Contemporary Folk and Blues.
In addition to his work as a collaborative musician, performing alongside artists such as Christina Martin, In-Flight Safety, James Hill, Tanya Davis, Zac Crouse, Morgan MacDonald, Keith Mullins, Acres and Acres, and Steve Gates, Ian has been hard at work developing his career as a solo artist. His composition, "Old Moon" was commissioned by Canadian soprano Allison Angelo and is featured on her debut recording Moon Loves Its Light. In 2013, Ian served as composer and music supervisor for the Toronto indie feature film Unhappy Happy (directed by Rob Shaw; winner of Best Micro-Budget Feature, Toronto Independent Film Festival and Best Canadian Film, Queens World Film Festival).
Ian Bent is also a member of the Halifax dream-pop duo Alana Yorke. Their debut album Dream Magic (mixed by Arcade Fire's engineer Mark Lawson) was released October 30, 2015 on Paper Bag Records and has been nominated for two East Coast Music Awards and four Music Nova Scotia Awards. Bent served as co-producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and co-writer on the album and he currently tours with the project. With his former indie rock band, Caledonia, Ian has performed across Canada and in the United States, packing venues in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
Since returning to Halifax after completing his Masters of Music at the University of Montreal, Ian has performed with dozens of projects, in a tremendous range of styles, from Klezmer (with Oy Gevalt, and the Halifax Klezmorim) to Tango (Libertango), Chamber music, 16th-century sacred polyphony, Jazz, Indie Rock, Contemporary Folk and Blues.
In addition to his work as a collaborative musician, performing alongside artists such as Christina Martin, In-Flight Safety, James Hill, Tanya Davis, Zac Crouse, Morgan MacDonald, Keith Mullins, Acres and Acres, and Steve Gates, Ian has been hard at work developing his career as a solo artist. His composition, "Old Moon" was commissioned by Canadian soprano Allison Angelo and is featured on her debut recording Moon Loves Its Light. In 2013, Ian served as composer and music supervisor for the Toronto indie feature film Unhappy Happy (directed by Rob Shaw; winner of Best Micro-Budget Feature, Toronto Independent Film Festival and Best Canadian Film, Queens World Film Festival).
Ian Bent is also a member of the Halifax dream-pop duo Alana Yorke. Their debut album Dream Magic (mixed by Arcade Fire's engineer Mark Lawson) was released October 30, 2015 on Paper Bag Records and has been nominated for two East Coast Music Awards and four Music Nova Scotia Awards. Bent served as co-producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and co-writer on the album and he currently tours with the project. With his former indie rock band, Caledonia, Ian has performed across Canada and in the United States, packing venues in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.