Philip Aaberg, the Montana-born pianist and composer whose sweeping contemporary works earned Grammy and Emmy recognition during a decades-long career, died May 23 at age 77.
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His Facebook page announced his passing only days after sharing his hospitalization. Aaberg suffered pneumonia in both lungs and other complications related to his chemotherapy for prostate cancer.
The acclaimed musician built an international reputation through his recordings for Windham Hill Records and later through his independent label, Sweetgrass Music.
Born April 8, 1949, in Havre, Montana, and raised in the small town of Chester, Aaberg blended classical training with jazz, bluegrass, folk and rock influences to create a style rooted in the American West. He earned a Leonard Bernstein Scholarship to study music at Harvard University before moving to California, where he played blues clubs and toured with the Elvin Bishop Group during the 1970s.
Aaberg reached a wider audience in the 1980s through Windham Hill Records, the influential label known for contemporary instrumental and new-age music.
Phillip Aaberg Released His First Album In 1985
His 1985 debut album, High Plains, established him as a leading solo pianist whose music captured the landscapes and rhythms of Montana life. He later released several additional albums, including Out of the Frame, Upright and Cinema.
In 2000, Aaberg and his wife, Patty, founded Sweetgrass Music to continue producing music inspired by the American West.
Aaberg earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album for Live from Montana and received Emmy nominations for PBS’s All-American Jazz and for the soundtrack to Class C: The Only Game in Town. Throughout his career, he collaborated with artists including Peter Gabriel and performed on more than 200 recordings.
Tributes poured in after news of his death spread. Music broadcaster John Diliberto described Aaberg as “down-to-earth, erudite, and philosophical.”
Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman also praised Phillip Aaberg, saying he admired his under-appreciated skill as an improviser. “He was larger than life,” Ackerman said. “He was a good man and kind man, and I, for one, am grateful beyond measure for the joy and honor of having known him and worked with him.”