Ian Gleissner, Jazz Bassist, Composer, Arranger & Long-Time VGM Fan has been surrounded by music ever since he could remember. Growing up, he was always jamming out with his friends or obsessing over minute compositional details. Now, he strives to entertain audiences with his personal sense of style by taking the musical idioms of jazz and combining them with the dynamic storytelling of video game music. The result of this is a truly unique blend of engaging narrative and controlled chaos that audiences keep coming back for.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Ian was fortunate to grow up in a musical family; one that surrounded him with music and supported his passion for bass. His introduction to jazz studies began with the Columbus Jazz Arts Group Youth Jazz Program where he was immersed in various aspects of jazz. During his time there, he performed in small and large groups, assisted with teaching summer programs, and was an intern in the administrative office.

Ian holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music. During his time there, he studied with Professor Jeff Campbell and performed with the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble and the Eastman Jazz Lab Band. He also researched the intricacies of dynamic music in video games and learned how to apply them to live performance.

Over the course of his career, Ian has worked with incredible musicians, such as Carmen Bradford, Bobby Floyd, Brian Lynch, Byron Stripling, Gary Versace, Mark Watters and Vaughn Wiester. He also attended the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Academy Small Group Session in 2023.