Adam Swanson Last updated February 08, 2025 Adam Swanson
Adam Swanson at the 2024 World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival
Birth name Adam G. Swanson Born 1992Flint, Michigan , US Genres Old-Time Piano Occupation Musician-Songwriter Instrument Piano Years active 2003-Present Labels Rivermont Records Website adamgswanson
Musical artist
Adam G. Swanson is an American Ragtime and Old-Time Music Pianist. He is known for his fast, energetic, and enthusiastic approach to playing ragtime .
Swanson's career in ragtime piano began in 2003, when he won the junior division of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival as a ten-year-old. He has since become one of the most popular ragtime artists of this time. Swanson has performed at Carnegie Hall , and has received many prestigious awards, such as first place in the Regular Division of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival in 2008, 2009, 2010, and returning in 2015 (which made him the only four-time winner of the contest throughout its entire history), first place in the Junior Division of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival in 2003, 2004, and 2006 (he became the youngest ever winner of the Junior Division at 10), first place in New Rag Contest of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival in 2013 and 2023 (with pianists Paul Orsi and Tom Lakeland), and first place in the Duet Contest of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival in 2016 and 2018. He also founded the Durango Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival in Durango, CO , which takes place every April.
Early life Swanson lived his early life in Iowa, and enjoyed going to antique stores in his free time. At the age of ten, Swanson played his first ever song on piano, the extremely difficult and technical Maple Leaf Rag . It was this event that prompted Swanson's swift introduction into the professional ragtime circuit, since it gave him the title of "Prodigy ." Throughout his teens, Swanson was present at all of the major ragtime festivals, as well as going on a world tour and performing at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center . [ 1]
Career Adam Swanson's career began in 2003, when he won the Junior Division of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival . From there many contests across different divisions, and performed at ragtime festivals across the world, such as the Bohem Ragtime and Jazz Festival. He was also featured in the 2012 film "The Entertainers," in which he was referred to as "the prodigy." He was also mentored by popular ragtime pianist Johnny Maddox at the Diamond Belle Saloon in Durango, CO . In addition, he has performed at Carnegie Hall [ 2] and the Kennedy Center , [ 3] and in Hungary , Switzerland , and Australia . He has also performed with many other ragtime pianists, such as Martin Spitznagel , Tom Brier , Johnny Maddox , [ 2] Max Morath , Ian Whitcomb , [ 4] and more. [ 1]
Albums Album Artist(s) Year Notes Chestnut Street in the 90's Adam Swanson 2007 First Album On a Circular Staircase Adam Swanson 2008 Seven Little Stars (And the Man in the Moon) Adam Swanson & Johnny Maddox 2009 Double Trouble Adam Swanson & Fredrick Hodges 2010 Sunshine from the Fingers Adam Swanson 2011 I Love a Piano Adam Swanson, Danny Coots, & Ian Whitcomb 2011 Rare & Rip-Roaring Rags of 1912 Adam Swanson 2013 Jazz Nocturne Adam Swanson 2014 Bachelor's Degree Project Southwestern Swing Adam Swanson, Jeff Johnson, & the Redcliff Rounders 2014 Hum All of Your Troubles Away Adam Swanson & Danny Coots 2015 Revival Ragtime Adam Swanson 2018 Ragtime Austrialia! Adam Swanson ??? Jazzin the Blues Away Adam Swanson & Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra 2019 An Evening in The Diamond Belle Saloon Adam Swanson 2019 Take Me To The Land Of Jazz Adam Swanson & Domingo Mancuello 2021
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