Reed Gratz is a Professor of Music at the University of La Verne. He has taught at Washington State University, University of Miami, University of Innsbruck, Utrecht Conservatory and Leiden University in the Netherlands, and as a visiting professor of music at Claremont McKenna College for ten years. He has been on the Advisory Board of the American Jazz Institute with Mort Sahl, Mark Masters, and Lee Konitz. Reed’s formal education was at Manchester University (BA Music theory), New England Conservatory (MM Jazz composition), and University of Miami (DMA composition).

Reed has been awarded a major jazz composition grant from the National Endowment for the Arts; a research grant in African-American music by the National Endowment for the Humanities; two Senior Fulbright Lectureships, one at the University of Innsbruck, the other, the Walt Whitman Distinguished Chair of American Culture Studies at the Leiden University.  He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards for Teaching. Reed  is a member of the La Verne Academy. At La Verne he has been awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award and the Ellsworth Johnson Service Award and well as being named one of 125 Most Influential People during the University's first 125 years.

Reed has had the great fortune of playing music with George Russell, Herb Alpert, Bruce Hornsby, John Patitucci, Brandon Fields, Barbara Morrison, Alex Acuña, Bobby Shew, Buddy DeFranco, Scott Henderson, Konstantin Ruchadze, Max Bennett, Peter Noone, Jeff Healey and many others. He has composed music for more than a dozen plays. His recordings include: Below Sealevel and Piano, View From the South and The Reed Gratz Band featuring Michael O’Neill, Quaadrille, Piano Two, Travelogue, and Long Way to You.

Some of his students include Herb Alpert (piano & improvisation), Bruce Hornsby (U of Miami Rock Ensemble), Andrew Ford (bass with Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight, David Crosby), Sandra Schwarzhaupt (soprano Salzburg-Mozart), Joe Bagg (jazz organist/pianist), Giloh Morgan (writer, producer), Gayle Serdan (PhD Jazz Studies, pianist/teacher), Roberto Catalano (PhD ethnomusicology), Ronald Muldrow (guitarist with Lou Rawls, Mulgrew Miller, Eddie Harris), J Michael O’Neal (keyboardist, music director), Mike Bennett (internationally-known drummer), Fan Zheming (Vice Pres./Prof. Shenyang Conservatory of Music, China), Al Hospers (bass with Blood, Sweat, & Tears), Skip Sams (composer), Adria Barbosa (composer), Pebber Brown (renown guitar teacher), and Shoghag Apartian (Syrian pianist/composer).

Reed plays piano, Fender Rhodes suitcase piano, Roland D-50, digital pianos, harmonium, and other keyboards.