Jacob Friedman is an organist, choir director, composer, pianist, and educator, serving at Saint James’ Episcopal Church in Goshen, NY and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Florida, NY. He teaches multiple instruments and leads workshops in songwriting and music production at New York School of Music in Walden, Orange County, NY. Recognized by the American Protege International Music Competition for his excellence in teaching, Friedman’s work spans across classical, film, world music, jazz, and pop genres. As a pianist, he is known for his improvisational expertise and his ability to cross musical borders, with compositions and performances in collaboration with orchestras, jazz bands, and world music ensembles. Friedman earned his Master’s in Music Composition and Film Scoring from New York University in May 2011, graduating summa cum laude. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Music and Religion from Columbia University, where he graduated magna cum laude in May 2009. During his time at Columbia, he was a member of The Honors Society of the School of General Studies and received a Thesis Stipend for his work in Jazz Big Band Arranging. Additionally, he completed Liberal Arts coursework at Princeton University from 2003 to 2004. Jacob was raised in New York City and attended Trinity School in Manhattan, where he was honored with the music award. Friedman’s compositions have been performed at concert halls including The Greenwich Arts Council, CT, Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and Weill Recital Hall in New York City. Noted sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake has praised Friedman’s music, stating that it "goes right to the heart."