David Virelles

Jazz pianist and composer David Virelles is noted for his efforts towards the music of the varied band of performers including Jane Bunnett, Steve Coleman, Henry Threadgill, Juan Pablo Torres, Chris Potter, and Tomasz Stanko, to mention a few. Created in Cuba in 1983, Virelles grew up inside a musical family members. His dad was a specialist vocalist and songwriter; his mom a flutist within the Santiago de Cuba Symphony. He started classical studies for the piano at age seven, and was continuously subjected to the wide selection of musics performed on the isle. After finding his grandfather’s jazz collection as an adolescent, Virelles’ musical existence changed path and he started to go after it having a enthusiasm. At 18, he emigrated to Canada. He started musical research at Toronto’s Hunter University and came beneath the mentorship of saxophonist Jane Bunnett. He performed on many of her albums and toured with her Spirits of Havana music group. While at Hunter, Virelles researched privately with pianist Barry Harris. In 2003, he was granted the very first Oscar Peterson Reward by the fantastic pianist himself. In ’09 2009, after several visits to NY in a specialist capability, he relocated to the town and became a dynamic participant in its jazz picture. He gigged and documented with music artists as assorted as Wadada Leo Smith, Threadgill (whom he also researched with and stated as you of his great affects), Horacio “Un Negro” Hernandez, Ravi Coltrane, Stanley Cowell, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Miguel Zenón, Hermeto Pascoal, and Sam Streams, to mention a scant few. In 2008, Virelles released Movement, his debut like a bandleader, on Justin Period. It was accompanied by Continuum for Pi Recordings in 2011. He produced his 1st appearance for the ECM label within Chris Potter’s quintet on 2012’s The Sirens in 2012 and in Tomasz Stanko’s NY Quartet on 2013’s Wislawa. Virelles authorized to ECM later on that yr and documented Mboko, his innovator debut for the label. The arranged premiered in Oct of 2014. His sidemen included Thomas Morgan, Robert Hurst, Marcus Gilmore, and Román Díaz. It had been widely celebrated like a year-end choose on many magazines’ year-end lists. The pianist/composer/maker took the uncommon step of pursuing it in past due 2016 with Antenna, a six-track EP. The documenting was made with cellist/electronicist Alexander Overington and included visitor places from Threadgill, Gilmore, Diaz, as well as the percussion ensemble Los Seres, amongst others.