Alex Pastrana Trio / Jazz - Colombian Airs (1)

Alex Pastrana Trio / Jazz - Colombian Airs  

Presented by Terraza 7 Outdors

Date: Thursday, July 4th, 2024

Time: 7:30 pm.

Admission: $20 Cover.

Featuring:

• Hamish Smith  / Bass
• Julián Miltenberger / Drums
• Alex Pastrana / Piano; Arrangements and Compositions.

About Alex Pastrana:

Alexander Pastrana Sotto, born in Neiva, Huila, is a pianist, composer, arranger, music producer, and ambassador for the prestigious Nord keyboards. Throughout his distinguished career, he has collaborated with renowned artists such as Jeff "Tain" Watts, John Benitez, Samuel Torres, Oscar Stagnaro, Luisito Quintero, Francisco Zumaqué, Chabuco, Maria Escobar, Yuri Buenaventura, Carlos Vives, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá, among many others. His ability to fuse diverse musical styles has taken him to international stages, where he has made an indelible mark on contemporary music.

Among his most notable achievements are performances at iconic venues such as Blue Note Sao Paulo, the IX International Music Festival of Cartagena, the XXXII International Piano Festival of Bucaramanga, the VI Mompox Jazz Festival, the XXX International Jazz Festival of Teatro Libre, Jazz al Parque in Bogotá, Café Bohemia Jazz Club in New York, Terraza 7, and the Hartford Jazz Festival. Alex Pastrana earned his Bachelor's degree in Music with honors from Universidad Javeriana in 2019 and a Master's degree in Music with a distinguished thesis from the same university in 2023, as well as a Master's Degree in Jazz from New Jersey City University.

Throughout his career, Alex has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Latin Grammy nomination for the album "Chabuco Desde el Teatro Colón," and he won the National Bambuco Festival in Pereira in 2015. He also won the Young Interpreters series by Banco de la República de Colombia twice (2015 and 2017) and received the award at the XXX International Jazz Festival of Teatro Libre in 2018 with the group The Bará. His outstanding participation earned him a Steinway and Sons piano and recognition from the Order Cacique Timanco by the Departmental Assembly of Huila, in addition to being selected to join the Big Band Bogotá (2018-2019).

As a leader, he has released several notable works such as "Villamil en Jazz: Una Interpretación Creativa" (2015), where he reinterprets the music of Jorge Villamil Cordovéz through jazz, and "Rajando Leña" (2020), an album showcasing the convergence of jazz and rajaleña. In 2021, he presented "Tierra de Promisión: Emprendiendo un viaje a través del jazz," where Alex Pastrana sets to music the 55 sonnets of José Eustasio Rivera with contemporary music, improvisation, and jazz aesthetics. As a producer, he has worked on albums for artists such as Maria Escobar, Chabuco, Adriana Lucía, and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto. His skills as an arranger are also highlighted in collaborations with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, and the Big Band Bogotá, among others. Additionally, Alex has been invited to give lectures and master classes at various institutions, sharing his vast knowledge and experience in music.