Tom Brier, born in Oakdale, California, on October 3, 1971, is an American ragtime composer and pianist. Brier began playing piano at five years of age and composed nearly two dozen ragtime pieces by 11 years of age. He graduated from California State University, Stanislaus in 1993 with a degree in computer science, working as a computer programmer while regularly performing at ragtime festivals across the United States. He released studio albums including Rising Star in 1994, Generic in 1997, Pianola in 2000, Skeletons in 2003, Rewind in 2006, Blue Sahara in 2009, Constellations in 2012, and the live album Tom Brier – Live in Concert in 2015. Brier achieved widespread online recognition for his ragtime sight-reading performances of video game soundtracks on YouTube, and contributed to the music of the 2017 video game Cuphead. In August 2016, Brier sustained severe injuries in a car accident that halted his performing career.
