“With Lumen, he offers an exploration of refined, sophisticated jazz that pleasantly blends the rhythmic complexity of Afro-Panamanian vernacular music and Latino music in general, with the harmonic richness of modern jazz and art music, thanks to the scintillating Bohuslän Big Band.”
Chicago Tribune Review
Thanks to the Chicago Tribune for their kind review of my recent concert with John Patitucci, Brian Blade, and special guest Mark Turner, celebrating the Legacy of Wayne Shorter at the Symphony Center!
“…an especially humbling feat of synchronicity saw the quartet totally break down their tune — a glittering, gorgeous dissolution. But after the destruction, they rebuilt with terraced, modulating chords, like a gospel band at church pushing themselves to the brink. The moment was near-spiritual itself.”
'Lumen' Out Now!
Bohuslän Big Band and Danilo Pérez Collaborate on Lumen: A New and Unique Album
Danilo Pérez and Swedish jazz orchestra, Bohuslän Big Band collaborate on the new album Lumen, where Pan-American rhythms meet the Nordic big band sound. The album is characterized by improvisation and playfulness, is evidence of music's power to unite cultures.
Lumen is the result of a collaborative effort marked by openness, a spirit of experimentation, and mutual respect. The music, of which the majority is composed by Danilo Pérez, has its roots in Pan-American rhythms and grooves and is as majestic as it is playful with its elements of both improvisation and free-flowing melodies. With song titles like "Galactic Panama" and "Lumen", Danilo's roots are never far away and permeates in the feeling of the music.
"The album is a milestone in my career," says Pérez. "It symbolizes the power of music to bring cultures together and create shared experiences of beauty and harmony. The project is also special because it was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its release stands as a testament to the commitment and effort of everyone involved in bringing this Global Jazz vision to life.”
Lumen brims with joyful spirit. The freely flowing improvisation between Danilo Pérez's piano and Joakim Rolandsson's soprano saxophone on "Lumen" or the beautiful flugelhorn solo by Staffan Svensson on "Across the Crystal Sea" and especially the last two minutes of "Sunburn & Mosquito" are all examples of a musical encounter beyond the ordinary.
Together with Bohuslän Big Band, Danilo carries on the rich tradition of Panamanian jazz music, from pioneering musicians like Luis Russell and Sonny White to Eric Dolphy and Billy Cobham, blending it with the Nordic touch that characterizes Bohuslän Big Band.
"It has been an honor for us to be emersed in Danilo's boundless energy, musical integrity, and creative vision," says Eric Brandström Arellano, orchestra manager for Bohuslän Big Band. "He has truly created an inclusive and exploratory atmosphere in this project. This has opened the door for the musicians to delve deep into the intricacies for the music and embrace his artistic vision."
In 2020, Panamanian-born world pianist Danilo Pérez initiated a collaboration with Bohuslän Big Band in his role as Artist in Residence at Vara Concert Hall. In addition to touring, workshops, and work with the youth big band Next Generation Big Band, they also recorded Pérez's music in new big band arrangements, now released.
The album Lumen released on October 25th, with two single releases in August and September respectively.
About Danilo Pérez
Danilo Pérez is a multi-Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer, and educator celebrated for his profound influence on contemporary Jazz and his visionary approach to music. He organically blends his Panamanian roots with a diverse array of influences, including Latin American folk music, West African, Middle Eastern sounds, jazz and classical music. This innovative sound, Global Jazz, is a testament to his belief in music as a universal language that can bridge cultures, promote unity, and serve as a tool for the betterment of humanity. Born in Panama in 1965, Pérez's musical journey began early, influenced by his father's teachings on interconnected education. His talent was evident when he attended Berklee College of Music in 1985, and by 1989, he had become the youngest member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra, a testament to his prodigious talent and rapid rise in the music industry. In 2001, Pérez joined Wayne Shorter's quartet with John Patitucci and Brian Blade to form one of the most innovative and influential bands of the 21st century. Pérez has been recording and touring as a bandleader since 1993, receiving critical acclaim, awards, and loyal fans worldwide. He is a recipient of the 2021 Doris Duke Artist Award, the 2018 USA Fellowship, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award. As a composer, Pérez has been commissioned by renowned institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Banff Centre, and the Chicago and Detroit Jazz Festival, further solidifying his influence and recognition in the music world. He served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is presently a UNESCO Artist for Peace and Panama’s Cultural Ambassador, receiving many awards for his Latin America social work, including his outreach as Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival. Working as a music educator for more than 25 years, Pérez is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee College of Music Global Jazz Institute.
About Bohuslän Big Band
Bohuslän Big Band is a Swedish jazz orchestra that upholds and challenges the big band genre. Fearless and exploratory, they engage in collaborations with breadth and great variation. Over the years, they have performed with international jazz giants such as Gregory Porter, Joe Lovano, John Beasley, Vince Mendoza, Maria Schneider, and Nils Landgren. Since 2004, Bohuslän Big Band has been part of Vara Concert Hall.
"One for Toni" Out Now!
I am thrilled that the second single from my collaboration with Bohuslän Big Band is OUT TODAY! “One for Toni” is a composition of mine dedicated to the Nobel Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison. It was inspired by her novel ‘Beloved’. Click here to purchase or stream now!
New Single Out Now!
I’m excited to share with you the title track from my upcoming album on Prophone Records / NAXOS Music with the Bohuslän Big Band!
CLICK HERE TO STREAM / DOWNLOAD “LUMEN” NOW AND PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE ALBUM
In physics and optics, a “lumen” is a unit of measurement for the amount of visible light emitted by a source. It quantifies the brightness of light as perceived by the human eye. Specifically, a lumen is the amount of light emitted at a solid angle of one steradia n by a light source with a luminosity of one candela. In spiritual and religious contexts, "lumen" refers to spiritual illumination or divine light, symbolizing enlightenment or knowledge. The song "Lumen" explores humanity's ability to awaken our inner lights and face obstacles together, highlighting the power of collective illumination and shared wisdom.
'Lumen' Out October 25
Bohuslän Big Band and Danilo Pérez Collaborate on Lumen: A New and Unique Album
PRE-ORDER SINGLE “LUMEN” OUT AUG 30
Danilo Pérez and Swedish jazz orchestra, Bohuslän Big Band collaborate on the new album Lumen, where Pan-American rhythms meet the Nordic big band sound. The album is characterized by improvisation and playfulness, is evidence of music's power to unite cultures.
Lumen is the result of a collaborative effort marked by openness, a spirit of experimentation, and mutual respect. The music, of which the majority is composed by Danilo Pérez, has its roots in Pan-American rhythms and grooves and is as majestic as it is playful with its elements of both improvisation and free-flowing melodies. With song titles like "Galactic Panama" and "Lumen", Danilo's roots are never far away and permeates in the feeling of the music.
"The album is a milestone in my career," says Pérez. "It symbolizes the power of music to bring cultures together and create shared experiences of beauty and harmony. The project is also special because it was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its release stands as a testament to the commitment and effort of everyone involved in bringing this Global Jazz vision to life.”
Lumen brims with joyful spirit. The freely flowing improvisation between Danilo Pérez's piano and Joakim Rolandsson's soprano saxophone on "Lumen" or the beautiful flugelhorn solo by Staffan Svensson on "Across the Crystal Sea" and especially the last two minutes of "Sunburn & Mosquito" are all examples of a musical encounter beyond the ordinary.
Together with Bohuslän Big Band, Danilo carries on the rich tradition of Panamanian jazz music, from pioneering musicians like Luis Russell and Sonny White to Eric Dolphy and Billy Cobham, blending it with the Nordic touch that characterizes Bohuslän Big Band.
"It has been an honor for us to be emersed in Danilo's boundless energy, musical integrity, and creative vision," says Eric Brandström Arellano, orchestra manager for Bohuslän Big Band. "He has truly created an inclusive and exploratory atmosphere in this project. This has opened the door for the musicians to delve deep into the intricacies for the music and embrace his artistic vision."
In 2020, Panamanian-born world pianist Danilo Pérez initiated a collaboration with Bohuslän Big Band in his role as Artist in Residence at Vara Concert Hall. In addition to touring, workshops, and work with the youth big band Next Generation Big Band, they also recorded Pérez's music in new big band arrangements, now released.
The album Lumen releases on October 25th, with two single releases in August and September respectively.
About Danilo Pérez
Danilo Pérez is a multi-Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer, and educator celebrated for his profound influence on contemporary Jazz and his visionary approach to music. He organically blends his Panamanian roots with a diverse array of influences, including Latin American folk music, West African, Middle Eastern sounds, jazz and classical music. This innovative sound, Global Jazz, is a testament to his belief in music as a universal language that can bridge cultures, promote unity, and serve as a tool for the betterment of humanity.
Born in Panama in 1965, Pérez's musical journey began early, influenced by his father's teachings on interconnected education. His talent was evident when he attended Berklee College of Music in 1985, and by 1989, he had become the youngest member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra, a testament to his prodigious talent and rapid rise in the music industry. In 2001, Pérez joined Wayne Shorter's quartet with John Patitucci and Brian Blade to form one of the most innovative and influential bands of the 21st century.
Pérez has been recording and touring as a bandleader since 1993, receiving critical acclaim, awards, and loyal fans worldwide. He is a recipient of the 2021 Doris Duke Artist Award, the 2018 USA Fellowship, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award. As a composer, Pérez has been commissioned by renowned institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Banff Centre, and the Chicago and Detroit Jazz Festival, further solidifying his influence and recognition in the music world. He served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is presently a UNESCO Artist for Peace and Panama’s Cultural Ambassador, receiving many awards for his Latin America social work, including his outreach as Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival. Working as a music educator for more than 25 years, Pérez is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee College of Music Global Jazz Institute.
About Bohuslän Big Band
Bohuslän Big Band is a Swedish jazz orchestra that upholds and challenges the big band genre. Fearless and exploratory, they engage in collaborations with breadth and great variation. Over the years, they have performed with international jazz giants such as Gregory Porter, Joe Lovano, John Beasley, Vince Mendoza, Maria Schneider, and Nils Landgren. Since 2004, Bohuslän Big Band has been part of Vara Concert Hall.
Bohuslän Big Band y Danilo Pérez colaboran en Lumen: Un nuevo e innovador álbum
Danilo Pérez y la orquesta de jazz sueca Bohuslän Big Band colaboran en el nuevo álbum Lumen, donde los ritmos panamericanos se encuentran con el sonido de la big band nórdica. El álbum, caracterizado por la improvisación y la jovialidad, es una prueba del poder de la música para unir culturas.
Lumen es el resultado de una colaboración marcada por la apertura, el espíritu de experimentación y el respeto mutuo. La música, compuesta en su mayor parte por Danilo Pérez, tiene sus raíces en los ritmos y grooves panamericanos, y es tan majestuosa como jovial, con elementos de improvisación y melodías fluidas. Con títulos de canciones como “Galactic Panama” y “Lumen”, las raíces de Danilo están siempre presentes y se impregnan en el sentimiento de la música.
“El álbum es un hito en mi carrera”, dice Pérez. “Simboliza el poder de la música para unir culturas y crear experiencias compartidas de belleza y armonía. El proyecto también es especial porque se llevó a cabo durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Su lanzamiento es un testimonio del compromiso y el esfuerzo de todos los que han participado en hacer posible esta visión del Global Jazz.
Lumen rebosa de espíritu alegre. La libre improvisación entre el piano de Danilo Pérez y el saxofón soprano de Joakim Rolandsson en la pista “Lumen” o el hermoso solo de fiscorno de Staffan Svensson en “Across the Crystal Sea” y especialmente los dos últimos minutos de “Sunburn & Mosquito” son ejemplos de un encuentro musical más allá de lo ordinario.
Junto con la Bohuslän Big Band, Danilo continúa la rica tradición de la música de jazz panameña, desde músicos pioneros como Luis Russell y Sonny White hasta Eric Dolphy y Billy Cobham, mezclándola con el toque nórdico que caracteriza a la Bohuslän Big Band.
“Ha sido un honor para nosotros vernos inmersos en la energía sin límites, la integridad musical y la visión creativa de Danilo”, comenta Eric Brandström Arellano, director de la orquesta Bohuslän Big Band. “Ha creado realmente una atmósfera inclusiva y exploratoria en este proyecto. Esto ha abierto la puerta a que los músicos profundicen en las complejidades de la música y abracen su visión artística”.
En 2020, el pianista de renombre mundial nacido en Panamá, Danilo Pérez, inició una colaboración con la Bohuslän Big Band en su rol de Artista Residente en el Vara Concert Hall. Además de realizar giras, talleres y trabajar con la big band juvenil Next Generation Big Band, también grabaron la música de Pérez en nuevos arreglos para big band, que ahora han sido lanzados.
El álbum Lumen será lanzado el 25 de octubre, y en agosto y septiembre saldrán dos álbumes sencillos.
Acerca de Danilo Pérez
Danilo Pérez es un pianista, compositor y pedagogo ganador de varios premios Grammy, célebre por su profunda influencia en el jazz contemporáneo y su enfoque visionario de la música. Mezcla orgánicamente sus raíces panameñas con una amplia gama de influencias, como la música folclórica latinoamericana, los sonidos de África Occidental y Oriente Medio, el jazz y la música clásica. Este sonido innovador, Global Jazz, es un testimonio de su creencia en la música como lenguaje universal que puede tender puentes entre culturas, promover la unidad y servir como herramienta para mejorar la humanidad.
Nacido en Panamá en 1965, el viaje musical de Pérez comenzó pronto, influido por las enseñanzas de su padre sobre la educación interconectada. Su talento fue evidente cuando asistió al Berklee College of Music en 1985, y en 1989 se había convertido en el miembro más joven de la United Nations Orchestra de Dizzy Gillespie, testimonio de su prodigioso talento y de su rápido ascenso en la industria musical. En 2001, Pérez se unió al cuarteto de Wayne Shorter con John Patitucci y Brian Blade para formar una de las bandas más innovadoras e influyentes del siglo XXI.
Pérez ha grabado y realizado giras como líder de banda desde 1993, recogiendo elogios de la crítica, premios y fieles seguidores en todo el mundo. Ha recibido el Doris Duke Artist Award 2021, la beca USA Fellowship 2018 y el Smithsonian Legacy Award 2009. Como compositor, Pérez ha recibido encargos de instituciones de renombre como el Carnegie Hall, el Lincoln Center, el Banff Centre y los Festivales de Jazz de Chicago y Detroit, solidificando aún más su influencia y reconocimiento en el mundo de la música. Ha sido Embajador de Buena Voluntad de UNICEF y actualmente es Artista para la Paz de la UNESCO y Embajador Cultural de Panamá, recibiendo numerosos premios por su trabajo social en América Latina, incluido su trabajo de divulgación como Fundador y Director Artístico del Festival de Jazz de Panamá. Pérez, que ha trabajado como educador musical durante más de 25 años, es el fundador y director artístico del Berklee College of Music Global Jazz Institute.
Acerca de Bohuslän Big Band
Bohuslän Big Band es una orquesta de jazz sueca que defiende y desafía el género de las big bands. Intrépidos y audaces, colaboran con amplitud y gran variedad. A lo largo de los años, han actuado con gigantes internacionales del jazz como Gregory Porter, Joe Lovano, John Beasley, Vince Mendoza, Maria Schneider y Nils Landgren. Desde 2004, la Bohuslän Big Band forma parte de la Sala de Conciertos de Vara.
NYC Jazz Record Review
The New York City Jazz Record said of the recent trio performance at Queens College’s Kupferberg Center for the Arts: “Panamanian Danilo Pérez is a trickster, a shapeshifter, with a unique approach to “Latin jazz’” and the animated encore, drove the audience to its feet to dance and sing imitative responses to Perez’s deliberately tricky calls.”
Jazz Journal Review
The Jazz Journal UK called Danilo’s ensemble with John Patitucci and Adam Cruz in London: “a trio that seems set on seeking its own course and well equipped to do so” - click here to read more.
Harvard Jazz Master in Residence
The Office for the Arts names Danilo Pérez 2024
Harvard University Jazz Master in Residence
Acclaimed Pianist Will Perform with Harvard Jazz Orchestra on April 6 at Sanders Theatre.
(Cambridge, MA)— The Office for the Arts at Harvard and Harvard Jazz Orchestra, directed by Yosvany Terry, announce that Danilo Pérez, Grammy winning pianist-composer, will be the 2024 Jazz Master in Residence at Harvard University this spring. Pérez will be in residence April 1–6, 2024. Saturday, April 6, 8 p.m.: Music of the Americas: Harvard Jazz Orchestra Honors Danilo Pérez, a concert featuring the Harvard Jazz Orchestra with 2024 Harvard Jazz Master Danilo Pérez, at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge. Tickets are $15 for general public, and $8 for students and seniors $8, and will be available later this month through the Harvard Box Office at Farkas Hall, 10 Holyoke St., online at boxoffice.harvard.edu, or by calling 617.496.2222 (phone and online orders subject to service fees). Free parking is available at the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton St. For more information, call 617.495.8676 or visit: https://boxoffice.harvard.edu.
As a solo artist and as a collaborator with jazz giants from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter, for over three decades Grammy Award-winning Panamanian pianist-composer Danilo Pérez has been lauded as one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. With jazz as the anchoring foundation, Pérez’s Global Jazz music is a blend of Panamanian roots, Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, European impressionism – promoting music as a borderless and multidimensional bridge between all people.
Born in Panama in 1965, Pérez started musical studies at age 3 with his father, a bandleader and singer. By age 10, he was studying the European classical piano repertoire at the National Conservatory in Panama. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in electronics in Panama, he studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. While still a student, he performed with Jon Hendricks, Terence Blanchard, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi and Paquito D’Rivera. Quickly established as a young master, he soon toured and/or recorded with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie United Nations Orchestra, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Lacy, Lee Konitz, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Gary Burton and Roy Haynes.
In 1993, Pérez turned his focus to his own ensembles and recording projects, releasing several albums as a leader, earning Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations for Central Avenue (1998), Motherland (2000), Across The Crystal Sea (2008), and Providencia (2010). In 1996, he was signed by producer Tommy Lipuma to join the Impulse label and recorded Panamonk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk which DownBeat magazine called one of the most important piano albums in the history of jazz. Pérez’s album Central Avenue, featured mejoranera music and was chosen as one of the 10 best recordings across genres by TIME Magazine in 1998. Across The Crystal Sea in 2008, a collaboration between Pérez and the prolific composer and arranger Claus Ogerman, was praised by The Guardian as “so ultra-smooth it achieves something like a state of grace.” Pérez made his Mack Avenue Records debut in 2010 with the release of Providencia. The album was nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award in the category of Best Instrumental Jazz Album.
Pérez joined the Wayne Shorter Quartet in 2010 with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. This latest iteration from Shorter has been known as a unique and predominant force in improvisational music both at their historic live performances and on several recordings. In 2018, Blue Note records released the highly anticipated EMANON from the Wayne Shorter Quartet, which won a Grammy in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental album in 2019.
For several years, Pérez has also been touring with his trio–featuring Ben Street and Adam Cruz, and with Children of the Light, a collaboration with Wayne Shorter Quartet members John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Mack Avenue released the Children of the Light album in 2015 to great critical acclaim.
Pérez’s current touring project, the Global Messengers, spreads the idea that music can serve as a natural remedy to unfortunate situations, providing an uplifting message, connection, and common ground. The ensemble features musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, coming together to build community through music.
As a composer, Pérez has been commissioned by The Lincoln Center, Chicago Jazz Festival, and Imani Winds Quintet, among others. His octet for members of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela was commissioned by Carnegie Hall. In 2014, the Banff Centre commissioned Pérez to write Caminode Cruces, a piano quintet for the Cecilia String Quartet, and he also composed the music for the Museum of Biodiversity in Panama, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. In 2015, Pérez premiered another two new compositions: Expeditions – Panamania (2015), which premiered at the Panamerican games in Toronto, and Detroit World Suite La Leyenda de Bayano, which premiered at the Detroit Jazz Festival. Pérez returned to the Detroit Jazz Festival in Fall 2019 for the world premiere of a new piece written for his Global Messengers ensemble and co-commissioned by the Detroit Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, National Forum of Music Wroclaw, and Koerner Hall at Royal Academy of Music Toronto.
Pérez, who served as Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, has received a variety of awards for his musical achievements, activism and social work efforts. He is a recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award in 2021, the United States Fellowship 2018, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award. He serves as UNESCO Artist for Peace, Cultural Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival, and founding artistic director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music.
# # #
The Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA) supports student engagement in the arts and integrates the arts into University life. Through its programs and services, the OFA teaches and mentors, fosters student art making, connects students to accomplished artists, commissions new work, and partners with local, national, and international constituencies. By supporting the development of students as artists and cultural stewards, the OFA works to enrich society and shape communities in which the arts are a vital part of life. Information: www.ofa.harvard.edu, ofa@fas.harvard, 617.495.8676.
5 Star FT Review
Thank you to the Financial Times and writer Mike Hobart for the insightful and fantastic review of my performance with John Patitucci and Adam Cruz at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club!
“…the packed house had been mesmerised by the trio’s twist-and-turn interplay and by the virtuosity pushed to the edge.”
CSO Interview
Check out this interview I did with Mike Thomas of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in advance of my performance there on March 31st with both Children of the Light and The Global Messengers.
Click here to read the article in full and to purchase tickets.
Crisálida Available Now!
Pianist, composer, humanitarian and activist Danilo Pérez believes that a united global perspective for the arts and social justice are the keys to moving humanity forward in harmony. With Crisálida, Pérez has convened his Global Messengers — several gifted Berklee Global Jazz Institute graduates mentored by Danilo hailing from Palestine, Greece and Jordan — to contribute their respective cultural learnings and personal experiences with the goal of building community through music, without borders.
Muropatía Out Today!
I’m excited to share the second single from my upcoming Mack Avenue Records release!
“Muropatía” closes the “La Muralla (Glass Walls) Suite” as the strings animate a coruscating rhythm, based upon a folkloric Panamanian dance that has striking similarities to some Arabic folkloric rhythms. This song is on my album, Crisálida – out March 18!
New Single!
Friends, I'm so excited to announce my new album, 'Crisálida' out March 18 on Mack Avenue Records.
The first single "Monopatia (Pathways)" is out today! Listen now: lnk.to/dp_mono
I envision 'Crisálida' as a protected space where we all come together, whether we’re addressing immigration issues, climate change, environmental justice, science, interconnecting different art forms. We need to work together to build our new crisálida, which, to me, is the emotional, mental and physical state of protection in our early development.
This album features the "Global Messengers" – a new multicultural ensemble from Berklee Global Jazz Institute, dedicated to the betterment of humanity.
Global Messengers:
Tareq Rantisi | percussion (Palestine)
Vasilis Kostas | laouto (Greece)
Layth Sidiq | violin & vocals (Iraq, Jordan)
Naseem Alatrash | cello (Palestine)
Farayi Malek | vocals (United States)
Special guests:
Roman Diaz | batá drums (Cuba)
Faris Ishaq | Ney flute (Palestine)
Patricia Zarate Perez | spoken word (Chile)
Erini | vocals (Greece)
Kalesma Children’s Choir of The Ark of the World (Kivotos tou Kosmou) (based in Greece)
Artwork
painter Olga Sinclair (Panama)
photographer Tito Herrera (Panama)
Doris Duke Artist Awards 2021
Seven Artists in Jazz, Dance and Theater Receive Doris Duke Artist Awards of Up to $275,000 Each, Totaling $2.2 Million in Unrestricted Funding for Performing Artists
New York, Oct. 21, 2021 — The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced the 2021 Doris Duke Artists, each receiving an award of $275,000 intended as an investment in their artistic potential and celebration of their ongoing contributions to the fields of contemporary dance, jazz and theater. Signifying the largest national award to individuals in the performing arts, the prize consists of $250,000 in completely unrestricted funding and an additional $25,000 dedicated to encouraging savings for retirement. Rather than being tied to specific projects, these awards are available to recipients to use in the manner they determine will best support their ability to create and thrive.
Cynthia Oliver and Dormeshia received the award for their enduring contributions to the field of contemporary dance. Kris Davis, Danilo Pérez and Wayne Shorter earned the recognition for their ongoing innovation and impact in the field of jazz. Lileana Blain-Cruz and Teo Castellanos were awarded the honor for their continuing excellence in theater.
“Art is the antidote to crisis. These exemplary artists demonstrate that a time of unprecedented disruption in the arts and across society cannot stifle the power of great art to persevere,” said Sam Gill, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “We are proud to support these outstanding creators and accelerate their phenomenal contributions to society.”
“We are thrilled to award this year’s cohort of exceptional artists with this support,” said Maurine Knighton, program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “With the knowledge that these performing artists excel in their forms, we recognize that they deserve funding that trusts them to best determine how to invest in their own futures. These awards are intended to enable artists with the freedom to create the way that artists are meant to create: freely, organically and without restrictions.”
Overall, the Doris Duke Artist Awards program has awarded more than $35.4 million in funding to 129 artists since the program began in 2012. Previous Doris Duke Artists have used the funding for a wide expanse of needs -- ranging from creative research, exploration and study, mortgages for personal and professional spaces, travel and/or restoration time, childcare, healthcare costs and creation of a financial safety net, among many other personal and professional uses.
To read more about the Doris Duke Artist Awards and the 2021 Doris Duke Artists, visit www.dorisdukeartistawards.org.
About the Doris Duke Artist Awards
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation designed the Doris Duke Artist Awards to invest in exemplary individual artists in contemporary dance, jazz and theater work who have demonstrated their artistic vitality and ongoing commitment to their field. The award is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, it is a deep investment in the creative potential of dedicated artists. The foundation aims to empower Doris Duke Artists through the freedom of unrestricted support to take creative risks, explore new ideas, and pay for important professional and personal needs not typically funded by the project-related grants that dominate arts funding. While the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation initially conceived the Doris Duke Artists Awards as part of a larger $50 million special initiative that finished in 2017, recognition of the program’s importance in helping artists thrive spurred the foundation to cement a place for the flexible awards in its core strategy to support the arts.
About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation focuses its support to the performing arts on contemporary dance, jazz and theater artists, and the organizations that nurture, present and produce them. In 2015, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded the foundation with a 2014 National Medal of Arts, presented by President Barack Obama, in special recognition of DDCF’s support of creative expression across the United States and “bold commitment” to artistic risk, which has helped artists, musicians, dancers and actors share their talents and enriched the cultural life of the nation. For more information, please visit www.ddcf.org.
Panama Jazz Festival Goes Virtual
Greeting Friends,
Culture makes us solidary, gives us hope and it reminds us that we are not alone. The Panama Jazz Festival unites us and leaves traces. Join for the first virtual edition of the Panama Jazz Festival, from January 11-23, 2021 at panamajazzfestival.com
Únete del 11 al 23 de enero al Panama Jazz Festival 2021 virtual ingresando en panamajazzfestival.com
Insert yourself in a world of music with over 100 events of the Panama Jazz Festival. Explore the workshops, concerts, jam sessions. Along with the IX Latinamerican Music Therapy Symposium, the V Afropanamanian Symposium, the Classical Music Interchange, and the VI Homeschooling Conference.
Panama Jazz Festival events are free except for 2 concerts (Wayne Shorter Quartet and Erika Ender & Danilo Pérez). If you wish to contribute to the programs of the Danilo Pérez Foundation, you can donate voluntarily through the festival website.
BLUE HOLIDAY JAZZ UNITY EVENT
I am thrilled to be a part of this gathering called Blue Holiday - a free virtual jazz concert for unity to support the campaigns of Reverend Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff For U.S. Senate. Join us this Friday, December 18 at 9pm ET on blueholidayjazz.com
DC JAZZ FEST GOES GLOBAL
The DC Jazz Festival is going global for the first time, streaming live from our nation’s capital for jazz fans all over the world to enjoy. The online festival will run from September 24th-28th this year and my set with my galactic brothers Ben Street and Adam Cruz will be streaming on Thursday, September 24th at 8:30PM Eastern Time. Visit dcjazzfest.org for details on where you can watch for free.
PART 5: SFJAZZ WAYNE SHORTER CELEBRATION LIVE STREAM
This fifth part of our ongoing Wayne Shorter Celebration series features masterful performances by Wayne and his quartet, filmed during his residency in April 2017. Wayne has led a legendary, near-mythic career spanning more than half a century that included monumental memberships in Art Blakey’s star-making Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’ iconic 1960s quintet, and the fusion superband Weather Report in addition to an incomparable path as a leader.
The NEA Jazz Master, 2015 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and 2018 Kennedy Center Honoree is, simply, the music’s most influential living instrumentalist and composer. His longevity as a creative force isn’t as astounding as the fact that he’s spent the past two decades leading his most prodigious and consequential band with pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade.
For this Fridays at Five stream, the masterful drummer and SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Terri Lyne Carrington replaces Blade, bringing her singular approach to Shorter’s music that she’s cultivated over a three-decade association with him including appearances on his 1988 album Joy Ryder, 1995’s High Life, and 2003’s Alegria.
PART 4: SFJAZZ WAYNE SHORTER CELEBRATION LIVE STREAM
Happy birthday Wayne Shorter! In honor of the Maestro’s birthday, SFJAZZ will continue its celebration of Wayne with a stream this Friday, August 28 featuring two modern-day jazz greats and Bay Area natives, saxophonist Joshua Redman and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, performing with my brothers John Patitucci & Brian Blade, and myself. This is an exclusive one-time-only broadcast of an all-star tribute concert that took place in 2019 at the SFJAZZ Center. Tune in by becoming an SFJAZZ Digital Member, starting at $5 per month at www.sfjazz.org/watch