View source for Jordan Rudess

{{short description|American keyboardist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Jordan Rudess
| image             = JordanRudess 2025.jpg
| landscape         = 
| caption           = Rudess with [[Dream Theater]] in 2025
| birth_name        = Jordan Charles Rudess
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1956|11|4}}
| birth_place       = [[Great Neck]], New York, U.S.
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Progressive rock]]|[[progressive metal]]|[[classical music]]|[[new-age music]]|[[electronic music]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|composer|software developer}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Keyboards|guitar}}
| years_active      = 1981–present
| current_member_of = {{hlist|[[Dream Theater]]|[[Liquid Tension Experiment]]}}
| past_member_of    = {{hlist|Speedway Boulevard|[[Dixie Dregs]]|The Sea Within}}
| website           = {{url|https://www.jordanrudess.com/}}
}}
'''Jordan Rudess''' (born '''Jordan Charles Rudes''';<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/26/style/nancy-kornfeld-becomes-a-bride.html?sec=&spon= |title=Nancy Kornfeld Becomes a Bride – New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 26, 1989 |access-date=July 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=502354670&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1 |title=ASCAP ACE – Search |access-date=May 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428214951/http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300 |archive-date=April 28, 2009}}</ref> November 4, 1956) is an American keyboardist, composer, and software developer, best known as a member of the [[progressive metal]] band [[Dream Theater]] and the supergroup [[Liquid Tension Experiment]].

== Early life ==
Rudess was born in 1956 in [[Great Neck, New York]]. His mother was the director of a music management company in [[Sea Cliff, New York]], while his father owned a New York clothing manufacturer.<ref name=":0" /> 

He was recognized by his second-grade teacher for his piano playing and was immediately given professional instruction. At nine, he entered the [[Juilliard School]] of Music Pre-College Division for classical piano training, where his first theory instructor was future collaborator Joseph Lyons.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dream Theater Biographies |url=https://www.oocities.org/gjoll.geo/jordan.htm |website=Dream Theater Biographies |access-date=November 23, 2023}}</ref> He studied at Juilliard for seven years under Katherine Parker and [[Adele Marcus]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Playbill: Lexington Conservatory Theatre 1977 |url=https://archive.org/details/lct-1977-playbill-pages/page/13/mode/2up |website=archive.org |date=1977 |access-date=November 22, 2023}}</ref> 

== Music career ==
By his late teens, Rudess had developed an increasing interest in synthesizers and progressive rock music, citing his first experience in the genre as the Hammond playing and distorted stylistic expression of [[Jon Lord]]. Against the advice of his parents and tutors, he turned away from classical piano and pursued a career as a solo progressive rock keyboardist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getreadytorock.com/rock_stars/jordan_rudess.htm |title=Get Ready to ROCK! Interview with Jordan Rudess, keyboard player with progressive rock band Dream Theater |publisher=Getreadytorock.com |access-date=July 28, 2014}}</ref>

After Juilliard, one of his first bands was an "electronic space music band" called Complex. Formed by Rudess and former Juilliard instructor Joseph Lyons, along with Sal Gallina, they began playing college radio and house concerts. In January 1977, the band performed at Hansen Galleries in New York City. "This is music of real interest and vitality, more rhythmic and popularly appealing than most so-called 'serious' music," said the ''New York Times'' of the performance, "yet never so blatantly exploitive as to arouse real cynicism."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rockwell |first1=John |title=Pop: Complex Expresses Vitality |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/23/archives/pop-complex-expresses-vitality.html |access-date=November 23, 2023 |work=New York Times |date=January 23, 1977}}</ref> That spring, the band Ocean Star released an album featuring music by Complex. That summer, Rudess accompanied Lyons for a residency at the [[Lexington Conservatory Theatre]] in Lexington, NY. Rudess served as assistant musical director and co-composed scores for the theater productions with Lyons, including the world premiere of ''The Prevalence of Mrs. Seale'' by [[Otis Bigelow]]. The duo also performed a series of concerts for the Earful concert series throughout the summer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Playbill: Lexington Conservatory Theatre 1977 |url=https://archive.org/details/lct-1977-playbill-pages/page/13/mode/2up |website=archive.org |date=1977 |access-date=November 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nova |first1=Mike |title=How To Become a Music Artist That is Successful in More Ways Than One |url=https://riseupeight.org/how-to-become-a-music-artist-successful/ |website=riseupeight.org |date=October 28, 2016 |access-date=November 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Concert Tonight |work=Kingston Sunday Freeman |date=June 26, 1977}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Complex to play at Lexington |work=Old Dutch Post Star |date=July 7, 1977}}</ref>
 
When Bleu Ocean was assembling a team of fellow drummers to perform on the song "[[Bring the Boys Back Home]]," featured on [[Pink Floyd]]'s ''[[The Wall]],'' he invited Rudess for the sessions, since Rudess had played drums as a child. However, Rudess's performance was rejected by producer [[Bob Ezrin]]. At that time, Rudess had already chosen keyboards as his main instrument.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ling|first1=Dave|title=How Jordan Rudess Almost Played On The Wall|url=http://prog.teamrock.com/news/2016-01-04/how-jordan-rudess-almost-played-on-the-wall|website=Prog|publisher=Team Rock|access-date=January 28, 2016|date=January 4, 2016}}</ref>

Rudess was part of a studio project assembled by bubblegum pop impresarios [[Jerry Kasenetz]] and [[Jeffry Katz]], who were also behind The [[Ohio Express]] and The [[1910 Fruitgum Company]]. In 1980, they ventured into [[album-oriented rock]] with [[Speedway Boulevard]], which also featured touring members of [[Ram Jam]]. The group never performed live and disbanded shortly after the album's release.

After participating in various projects during the 1980s, he gained international attention in 1994 when he was voted "Best New Talent" in the ''Keyboard Magazine'' readers' poll following the release of his ''[[Listen (Jordan Rudess album)|Listen]]'' solo album. Two of the bands that took notice of Rudess were [[The Dixie Dregs]] and [[Dream Theater]], both of whom invited him to join. Rudess chose the Dregs, primarily because being a part-time member of the band would have less of an impact on his young family, a choice he was not given with Dream Theater.

During his time with the Dregs, Rudess formed a "power duo" with drummer [[Rod Morgenstein]]. The genesis of this pairing occurred when a power outage caused all of the Dregs' instruments to fail except Rudess's, so he and Morgenstein improvised with each other until power was restored and the concert could continue. The chemistry between the two was so strong during this jam that they decided to perform together regularly (under the name ''Rudess/Morgenstein Project'' or later ''RMP'') and have since released a studio album and a live record.

Rudess encountered Dream Theater once again when he and Morgenstein secured the support slot on one of Dream Theater's North American tours.

In 1997, when [[Mike Portnoy]] was asked to form a [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] by [[Magna Carta Records]], Rudess was chosen to fill the keyboardist spot in the band, which also included [[Tony Levin]] and Portnoy's Dream Theater colleague [[John Petrucci]]. During the recording of [[Liquid Tension Experiment]]'s two albums, it became evident to Portnoy and Petrucci that Rudess was what Dream Theater needed. They asked Rudess to join the band, and when he accepted, they released their then-keyboardist [[Derek Sherinian]] to make way for him.

Rudess has been the full-time keyboardist in Dream Theater since the recording of 1999's ''[[Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory]]''. He has recorded eleven other studio albums with the group: 2002's ''[[Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence]]'', 2003's ''[[Train of Thought (Dream Theater album)|Train of Thought]]'', 2005's ''[[Octavarium (album)|Octavarium]]'', 2007's ''[[Systematic Chaos]]'', 2009's ''[[Black Clouds & Silver Linings]]'', 2011's ''[[A Dramatic Turn of Events]]'', 2013's [[Dream Theater (album)|''Dream Theater'']], 2016's ''[[The Astonishing]]'', 2019's ''[[Distance over Time]]'', 2021's ''[[A View from the Top of the World]]'', and 2025's ''[[Parasomnia (album)|Parasomnia]]''. In addition, he has appeared on the live albums ''[[Live Scenes From New York]]'', ''[[Live at Budokan (Dream Theater)|Live at Budokan]]'', ''[[Score (Dream Theater album)|Score]]'', ''[[Chaos in Motion]]'', ''[[Live at Luna Park]]'', ''[[Breaking the Fourth Wall (album)|Breaking the Fourth Wall]]'', and ''[[Distant Memories – Live in London]]''.

[[File:Dream Theater Live in Argentina 03-03-08.jpg|thumb|Rudess (left) with Dream Theater in 2008]]
In addition to working with Dream Theater, he occasionally records and performs in other contexts, such as a 2001 one-off duo performance with Petrucci (released as the CD ''An Evening With John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess''), as well as backing up [[Blackfield]] on their first short US tour in 2005 and playing a solo opening slot for them on their second tour in 2007. He also contributed to [[Steven Wilson]]'s albums [[Grace for Drowning]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jordanrudess.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13718|title=Jordan Rudess' contribution to Grace for Drowning – Jordan Rudess' Community Forums|publisher=Jordanrudess.com|access-date=August 4, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415071925/http://www.jordanrudess.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13718|archive-date=April 15, 2012}}</ref> and [[Insurgentes (album)|Insurgentes]].

In 2010, Rudess composed "Explorations for Keyboard and Orchestra," his first classical composition. It was premiered in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 19, 2010, by the Chacao Youth Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Eren Başbuğ. Rudess played all of the keyboard and synthesizer parts.

On July 28, 2011, in a poll conducted by [[MusicRadar]], Rudess was voted the best keyboardist of all time.<ref>{{cite web |author=Scot Solida |url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/the-27-greatest-keyboard-players-of-all-time-484228/28 |title=The 27 greatest keyboard players of all time &#124; Jordan Rudess &#124; Tech News |publisher=MusicRadar |date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=July 28, 2014 |archive-date=April 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427144750/http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/the-27-greatest-keyboard-players-of-all-time-484228/28/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Rudess appeared on the [[Ayreon]] album, ''[[The Theory of Everything (Ayreon album)|The Theory of Everything]]'', released on October 28, 2013.

=== Use of technology ===
[[File:Jordan Rudess avatar.jpg|thumb|An automated virtual version of Jordan Rudess on a screen during a live performance in [[Porto Alegre]], 2010]]  
While many keyboard players in progressive rock tend to bring numerous keyboards on stage, creating large racks of instruments, Rudess samples sounds from other keyboards he owns and maps them to a single keyboard. Each "setup" assigns different sounds to various layers and key ranges of the keyboard controller; these setups are then arranged in the order they will be required for a gig and cycled through with a footswitch.

Starting in the 1990s, he used a [[Kurzweil Music Systems|Kurzweil K2600XS]] during live sets until switching in 2005 to [[Korg]]'s [[Korg OASYS|Oasys]] workstation; he first utilized the Oasys station on Dream Theater's 2005–2006 20th Anniversary tour. He also employed a Muse Receptor hardware [[Virtual Studio Technology|VST]] and a [[Continuum (instrument)|Haken Continuum]] X/Y/Z-plane [[MIDI]] instrument, triggering a [[Roland Corporation|Roland V-Synth XT]] and a synthesizers.com modular unit designed by [[Richard Lainhart]] and [[Synthesizers.com|Roger Arrick]]. Influenced by Lainhart, Rudess was the first well-known keyboardist to bring a Haken Continuum onto a live stage.<ref name="KeybdMg Richard Lainhart Obit">{{cite web | title= Departures: Richard Lainhart | publisher= KeyboardMag | date= February 7, 2012 | url= http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/departures-richard-lainhart/147540 | access-date= July 28, 2014 }}</ref> Rudess kept the Kurzweil for studio recordings and for some of his signature sounds, such as "the pig," which is often played in unison with the guitar or bass guitar.

In 2011, Rudess switched from the [[Korg OASYS|Oasys]] to the new flagship [[Korg Kronos]]. In 2019, he added a Roland Ax-Edge keytar and a [[Hammond organ|Hammond XK-5]] to his live setup, which were used on Dream Theater's 2019 record ''[[Distance over Time]]''. His current live rig consists of the Kronos, along with a Continuum, a Hammond XK-5, a Roland AX-Edge, a [[lap steel guitar]], a [[Harpejji]], and an [[iPad]].

Since 2001, Rudess has used custom-made swiveling keyboard stands on stage for both Dream Theater and his solo career, which are built by Patrick Slaats from the [[Netherlands]].{{ref}} On Dream Theater's 2007–2008 "[[Chaos in Motion Tour]]," Rudess expanded his live setup with the addition of a [[Korg RADIAS]], a Manikin [[Memotron]],<ref>{{cite web | title= elektronische Musikmaschinen aus Berlin | publisher= manikin electronic | url= http://www.manikin-electronic.com/en/products_memotron.html | access-date= July 28, 2014 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140715100655/http://www.manikin-electronic.com/en/products_memotron.html | archive-date= July 15, 2014 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> and a Zen Riffer [[keytar]]. Rudess stopped using his [[Synthesizers.com]] [[modular synthesizer|modular]] after the European leg of the tour due to its size and weight. He still owns the synthesizer and keeps it in his home studio.{{cn|date=March 2022}} During the [[Progressive Nation 2008]] tour, he introduced a [[Kaoss Pad]] 3 on stage for the closing medley.

For the 2009–2010 tour in support of ''[[Black Clouds & Silver Linings]]'', Rudess introduced the [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] [[iPhone]] on stage, running an application called Bebot Robot Synth.<ref>{{cite web | title= Rudess Meets Bebot | publisher= YouTube | date= February 15, 2009 | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFG7-Q0WI7Q | archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/KFG7-Q0WI7Q | archive-date= December 12, 2021 | url-status= live | access-date= July 28, 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Rudess originally used Bebot on the studio recording of "A Rite of Passage." In live performances, he utilized it on the same song, as well as in improvised solos featured in "Hollow Years" and "Solitary Shell."

On September 24, 2010, Rudess released the song "Krump," an [[electronica]] single, on [[iTunes]]. It featured the use of the new [[Roland Music|Roland]] Gaia, Roland's more recent keyboard.

== Other work ==

=== Music educator ===
Rudess was frequently asked about private music lessons, but his touring commitments kept him busy. He ultimately developed a course available through a book and video titled "Keyboard Wizardry" and "Total Keyboard Wizardry." He went on to create additional series such as "Keyboard Wisdom" and "Keyboard Madness." These included lessons on composition, improvisation, keyboard playing techniques, rhythm and pitch exercises, and aural training. Some of the courses even addressed sound design and approaches to arrangement, style, composition, and recording. These courses are available in music stores and on specific websites, including [https://yousicplay.com/ YousicPlay],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-23 |title=Jordan Rudess - Course Page - YousicPlay |url=https://yousicplay.com/virtuoso-jordan-rudess/,%20https://yousicplay.com/virtuoso-jordan-rudess/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> [https://www.macprovideo.com/ MacProVideo],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keyboard Wizdom Tutorial & Online Course - Jordan Rudess Training Video By macProVideo.com |url=https://www.macprovideo.com/course/jordanrudesskeyboardwizdom |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=www.macprovideo.com |language=en}}</ref> [https://www.patreon.com/ Patreon],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jordan Rudess |url=https://www.patreon.com/Jordanrudess |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Patreon}}</ref> [https://www.pianote.com/ Pianote],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=How to Play Scales Fast: The Jordan Rudess Juilliard Method |url=https://www.pianote.com/blog/how-to-play-scales-fast/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=The Note |language=en}}</ref> [https://www.AskVideo.com AskVideo], and many others, along with his very own [https://www.jroc.us/ Online Conservatory].

In addition to recording videos, eBooks, hardcopy books, and support materials, Rudess has also served as a guest lecturer both on campus and online during the lockdown (or, as he described it, when the world stopped... for a while). This has been an ongoing effort for quite some time. He has been a lecturer for various periods at numerous institutes, music schools, and music colleges. Jordan Rudess taught music, with a particular focus on keyboard techniques, at Berklee College of Music in the United States and at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) in India,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-07 |title=Jordan Rudess teaching residency at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM), Marg Swarnabhoomi, India, Oct 15-19, 2012 |url=https://www.jordanrudess.com/jordan-rudess-teaching-residency-at-swarnabhoomi-academy-of-music-sam-marg-swarnabhoomiindiaoct-15-19-2012/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Jordan Rudess |language=en-US}}</ref> and has conducted guest lectures at Stanford.

=== Software development ===
{{Third-party|section|date=October 2021}}
In 2010, Rudess started a software company called '''Wizdom Music'''. He partnered with artists such as Kevin Chartier, Felipe Peña, and Eyal Amir (from Project RnL), creating new types of musical instrumental user interfaces and experiences, sound synthesis, and innovative ways of recording and performing music with tablet computers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wizdommusic.com/about.html |title=About Us |publisher=Wizdom Music |access-date=July 28, 2014 |archive-date=August 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805232746/http://www.wizdommusic.com/about.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Wizdom Music created the following software:
* '''SampleWiz''' – a touch screen-enabled sampler and self-sampler for the iPhone and iPad<ref>{{cite web|title=SampleWiz|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/samplewiz/|access-date=July 28, 2014|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>
* '''MorphWiz''' – a dynamic touch screen music creation controller for iOS, Android, and Windows 8-enabled touch pads and laptops<ref>{{cite web|title=MorphWiz|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/morphwiz/|access-date=July 28, 2014|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>
* '''Geo Synthesizer''' – a new digital music controller interface for the iPhone and iPad<ref>{{cite web|title=Geo Synthesizer|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/geo-synthesizer/|access-date=July 28, 2014|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>
* '''HarmonyWiz''' – a harmonic analysis and generator tool that can create multi-part harmonies from tracks either played or manually entered in-app<ref>{{cite web|title=HarmonyWiz – Wizdom Music|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/harmonywiz/|access-date=May 9, 2015|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>
* '''EarWizard''' – a tool to help users recognize the pitch of notes and chords by ear, with progressive difficulty levels<ref>{{cite web|title=EarWizard – Wizdom Music|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/earwizard/|access-date=May 9, 2015|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>
* '''GeoShred''' – a guitar simulator app that can be played on a touch screen and allows various parameters of the instrument (e.g., string type, pick position, body type) to be varied<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing GeoShred!|url=https://www.wizdommusic.com/apps/geoshred/|publisher=Wizdom Music}}</ref>

== Personal life ==

Rudess cites his influences as a keyboardist to include [[Keith Emerson]], [[Tony Banks (musician)|Tony Banks]], [[Rick Wakeman]], and [[Patrick Moraz]].<ref name="Jordan Rudess, Influences">[http://faq.dtnorway.com/question/41] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927224910/http://faq.dtnorway.com/question/41|date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> His favorite musical artists and groups include [[Gentle Giant]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]], [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]], [[King Crimson]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Autechre]], and [[Aphex Twin]].<ref name="Jordan Rudess, Influences 2">{{cite web |url=http://www.jordanrudess.com/jordan/faq.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=June 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055050/http://www.jordanrudess.com/jordan/faq.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref>

Rudess has [[perfect pitch]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2024 |title=Jordan Rudess Hears ANIMALS AS LEADERS For The First Time🔥 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrrcbUAghQA&t=185 |access-date=February 18, 2024 |website=[[YouTube]] |publisher=Pianote |at=3:05}}</ref><ref name="yahoo1">{{cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/not-expected-happened-dream-theaters-103307077.html|title="Not what I expected at all": here's what happened when Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess was asked to play along to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind, a song he'd never heard before|website=yahoo!news|author=Ben Rogerson|date={{date|October 17, 2023}}|access-date={{date|February 22, 2024}}}}</ref>

== Discography ==
=== Solo albums ===
* ''Arrival'' (1988)
* ''[[Listen (Jordan Rudess album)|Listen]]'' (1993)
* ''Secrets of the Muse'' (1997)
* A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1999, soundtrack)
* ''Resonance'' (1999)
* ''Feeding the Wheel'' (2001)
* ''[[4NYC]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Christmas Sky]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Rhythm of Time]]'' (2004)
* ''Prime Cuts'' (2006, compilation)
* ''The Road Home'' (2007, cover album)
* ''Notes on a Dream'' (2009)
* ''All That Is Now'' (2013)
* ''Explorations'' (2014)
* ''[[The Unforgotten Path]]'' (2015)
* ''Wired for Madness'' (2019)
* ''Heartfelt'' (2019)
* ''Unplugged'' (2020)
* ''A Chapter in Time'' (2021)
* ''Rockestra'' (2021)
* ''Piano & Orchestra'' (2023)
* ''Permission to Fly'' (2024)

=== Dream Theater ===
* ''[[Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Live Scenes from New York]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Train of Thought (Dream Theater album)|Train of Thought]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Live at Budokan (Dream Theater)|Live at Budokan]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Octavarium (album)|Octavarium]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Score (Dream Theater album)|Score]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Systematic Chaos]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Chaos in Motion]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Black Clouds & Silver Linings]]'' (2009)
* ''[[A Dramatic Turn of Events]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Dream Theater (album)|Dream Theater]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Live at Luna Park]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Breaking the Fourth Wall (album)|Breaking the Fourth Wall]]'' (2014)
* ''[[The Astonishing]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Distance over Time|Distance Over Time]]'' (2019)
* ''[[Distant Memories – Live in London]]'' (2020)
* ''[[A View from the Top of the World]]'' (2021)
* ''[[Parasomnia (album)|Parasomnia]]'' (2025)
* ''[[Quarantiéme: Live à Paris]]'' (2025)

=== Project albums ===
* ''[[Rudess/Morgenstein Project]]'' – ''Rudess/Morgenstein Project'' (1997)
* ''[[An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Official Bootleg]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Levin Minnemann Rudess]]'' (2013)
* ''From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess'' (2016)
* ''Intersonic'' (2017) – Jordan Rudess/Steve Horelick

=== Liquid Tension Experiment ===
* ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment (album)|Liquid Tension Experiment]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 2]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Spontaneous Combustion (album)|Spontaneous Combustion]]'' (2007, as [[Liquid Trio Experiment]])
* ''[[When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago]]'' (2009, as [[Liquid Trio Experiment 2]])
* ''Liquid Tension Experiment Live 2008 – Limited Edition Boxset'' (2009)
* ''[[Liquid Tension Experiment 3]]'' (2021)

=== Guest appearances ===
* [[Vinnie Moore]] – ''[[Time Odyssey (album)|Time Odyssey]]'' (1988)
* [[Tom Coster]] – ''Did Jah Miss Me?'' (1989)
* Jan Hammer-Tony Williams – ''[[Montreal Jazz Festival]]'' (1991)
* [[Annie Haslam]] – ''Blessing in Disguise'' (1994)
* [[Nóirín Ní Riain]] – ''Celtic Soul'' (1996)
* [[Kip Winger]] – ''[[This Conversation Seems Like a Dream]]'' (1997)
* Rhonda Larson – ''Free as a Bird'' (1999)
* Jupiter – ''Jupiter Project'' (1999)
* [[Paul Winter]] and The Earth Band – ''Journey with the Sun'' (2000)
* Scott McGill – ''Addition by Subtraction'' (2001)
* [[Prefab Sprout]] – ''[[The Gunman And Other Stories]]'' (2001)
* [[David Bowie]] – ''[[Heathen (David Bowie album)|Heathen]]'' (2002)
* Jupiter – ''Echo and Art'' (2003)
* [[Neal Morse]] – ''[[? (Neal Morse album)|?]]'' (2005)
* Daniel J – ''Losing Time'' (2005)
* [[Neil Zaza]] – ''[[When Gravity Fails (Neil Zaza album)|When Gravity Fails]]'' (2006)
* [[Behold... the Arctopus]] – ''[[Skullgrid]]'' (2007)
* K3 – ''Under a Spell'' (2007)
* [[Ricardo Garcia (German musician)|Ricky Garcia]] – ''Let Sleeping Dogs Lie'' (2008)
* [[Steven Wilson]] – ''[[Insurgentes (album)|Insurgentes]]'' (2008–2009)
* Michel Lazaro – ''Vision'' (2010)
* [[Steven Wilson]] – ''[[Grace for Drowning]]'' (2011)
* Len & Vani Greene – ''Luminosity'' (2011)
* Affector – ''Harmagedon'' (2012)
* Sylencer – ''A Lethal Dose of Truth'' (2012)
* Mr. Fastfinger – ''In Motion'' (2012)
* Lalu – ''Atomic Ark'' (2013)
* [[Ayreon]] – ''[[The Theory of Everything (Ayreon album)|The Theory of Everything]]'' (2013)
* Scream Maker – ''Livin' in the Past'' (2014)
* Eyal Amir – ''Bad News Jitterbug'' (2016)
* Virtual Symmetry – ''Message from Eternity'' (2016)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biYkGhLLpkQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/biYkGhLLpkQ| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Virtual Symmetry – PROGRAM ERROR (we are the virus) Feat Jordan Rudess – lyrics video (Prog Metal)|date=February 17, 2016 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Alex Lofoco – ''Beyond'' (2017)
* [[Gleb Kolyadin]] – ''Gleb Kolyadin'' (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://glebkolyadin.bandcamp.com/|title=Gleb Kolyadin, by Gleb Kolyadin|website=Glebkolyadin.bandcamp.com}}</ref>
* [[The Sea Within]] – ''The Sea Within'' (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/TheSeaWithin1/posts/378233492661084 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/319270191890748/378233492661084 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=The Sea Within|website=Facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[Dewa Budjana]] – ''Mahandini'' (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/leonardo.moonjunerecords/posts/2421771084503130 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/100000107852866/2421771084503130 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Leonardo MoonJune Pavkovic|website=Facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[Richard Henshall]] – ''[[The Cocoon]]'' (2019)
* [[Nick D'Virgilio]] – ''Invisible'' (2020)
* Virtual Symmetry – ''Exoverse'' (2020)
* Mathieu Fiset – ''One More !!?!??'' (2021)
* Alberto Rigoni – ''Songs for Souls'' (2022)
* Lalu – ''Paint the Sky'' (2022)
* Charlie Griffiths – ''Tiktaalika'' (2022)
* Gerald Peter Project – ''Incremental Changes Pt. 2'' (2022)
* Jan Rivera – ''Existential Paranoia'' (2022)
* Thrash Grandad – ''Brainslug'' (2023)
* [[Arch Echo]] – ''Final Pitch'' (2023)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.jordanrudess.com Jordan's website]
* [https://dreamtheater.net Dream Theater's website]
* [https://www.jroc.us Jordan's teaching website]

{{Jordan Rudess|state=plain}}
{{Dream Theater}}
{{Liquid Tension Experiment}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudess, Jordan}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American keyboardists]]
[[Category:21st-century American keyboardists]]
[[Category:American electronic musicians]]
[[Category:American heavy metal keyboardists]]
[[Category:American multi-instrumentalists]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American Jews]]
[[Category:Dixie Dregs members]]
[[Category:Dream Theater members]]
[[Category:Heavy metal keyboardists]]
[[Category:Juilliard School alumni]]
[[Category:Keytarists]]
[[Category:Liquid Tension Experiment members]]
[[Category:Magna Carta Records artists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Great Neck, New York]]
[[Category:Progressive rock keyboardists]]