piano Archives • Timucua Arts Foundation

Open House: John C. O’Leary III

Jazz pianist John C. O’Leary III arrives at Timucua to give an unforgettable performance of his latest album, The Sundering.

With a rich and complex cultural background, John C. O’Leary III—the son of an American father and a Mexican mother—writes music that harbors an idiosyncratic and poetic dichotomy. There’s a deep sense of longing and belonging that invites soul into his music. Abundant in imagery, his compositions occupy that space the immigrant or the “outsider” mind inhabits, both heavily rooted and free of any pre-conception at once.

John’s latest solo album and debut for Arbors Records, The Sundering, opens listeners up to all that makes humans vulnerable. It offers a glimpse into the main character’s life scenes that evoke moments full of emotion: memories of childhood, snapshots of joy, of nostalgia, separation, friendship, existential ponderings, and at times confusion and doubt. Ultimately the resolution of internal conflict helps find that place where we can sit still.

Tickets are pay what you like.
In-person and livestream tickets available.

Please bring a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic beverage to share.

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The lead sponsor for Timucua’s Jazz Series is:
Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center of Orlando
For more information, please visit entsinusorlando.com

Live at Timucua: Kemuel Roig

At age 4, Cuban-born Kemuel Roig had already developed a passion for music and was intent on becoming a drummer. Four short years later, he studied both percussion and classical piano as a student of the Cuban National Vocational Art School in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, a pursuit he continued until relocating to the United States in 2002. At age 18, Roig accepted an invitation to perform at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy with the MDC Hard Bop Jazz Ensemble, an ensemble with which he won both outstanding composition and piano solo from DownBeat Magazine’s Annual Student Competition the following year.

Roig has subsequently toured and recorded globally with musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Al Di Meola, Giovanni Hidalgo, Ed Calle, Amaury Gutierrez, Aymee Nuviola and Isaac Delgado, to name a few. “Genesis,” was released in 2020 featuring renowned names like Chris Potter, RandyBrecker, Alain Perez, and Julio Padron as a biography of Roig’s musical life honoring his musical heroes. Influenced by the musical genius of musicians such as Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chucho Valdez, Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans, and Fred Hersch, “Genesis” is seven original AfroCuban Jazz compositions and three world-recognized jazz standards arranged a la Afro-Cuban Jazz.

In November 2020, Kemuel recorded his most recent musical project called “Live AcousticSession”. Last year, he decided to produce a live experience for all the music lovers wanting to hear something fresh, hopeful, and full of original compositions in the midst of one of humanity’s hardest moments.

In-person and livestream tickets available.

Please bring a bottle of wine or non-alcoholic beverage to share.

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The lead sponsor for Timucua’s Jazz Series is:
Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center of Orlando
For more information, please visit entsinusorlando.

Live at Timucua: Martin Bejerano Trio

“Add Martin Bejerano to the expanding roster of hot young pianists that stretches from Hiromi Uhara and Eldar Djangirov to Robert Glasper and Taylor Eigsti…”
-Jazz Times

“Bejerano makes the most of a full and fluent style.”
– Nate Chinen (New York Times)

Martin Bejerano leads a trio playing original music influenced by the his Cuban and American roots. Featuring the #CubanAmerican Suite, commissioned by Chamber Music America through their “New Jazz Works” grant award.

Employing a serious technical command of the piano, a highly modern harmonic and rhythmic concept, and a commitment to lyricism and musicality, Martin has continually garnered critical praise across the world. Having performed with the likes of the Christian McBride Band, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Ignacio Berroa, Lonnie Plaxico, Bryan Lynch, Adam Nussbaum, Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval, Mingus Big Band, Marcus Strickland, E.J. Strickland, John Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Rick Margitza, Don Braden, Jonathan Joseph, Armando Gola, Jimmy Greene, Vivian Sessoms, Jackie Ryan, Lauren Kinhan, Kevin Mahagony, and even traded choruses with the legendary Chick Corea, one can easily gain a sense of Bejerano’s formidable talent on the keyboard. Martin has performed at nearly all of the major jazz festivals, clubs and concert halls around the world, performed on the David Letterman Show, and is proud to have toured with “Jazz Reach”, a non-profit organization that presents multimedia concerts for school children across the country, educating them on the history of jazz music as an American art form.

Martin’s career as a solo artist, band leader and composer has blossomed with recent performances at Symphony Space, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Jazz Gallery, El Hatillo Jazz Festival, Barquisimeto Jazz Festival, and Festival Miami, as well as his trio being featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated show “Jazz Set with Dee Dee Bridgewater”. Martin’s debut CD Evolution/Revolution was released in May 2007 to high critical praise reaching nine on the Jazz Week Chart, which lists the top 50 jazz albums based on airplay. His recent release,Trio Miami, was chosen as Downbeat Magazine’s “Editor’s choice” for 2016, reaching the top 25 in the Jazz Week airplay charts. An award winning composer as well, Martin is a two-time winner of the prestigious “New Jazz Works” composition and ensemble development grant by Chamber Music America in 2010 and 2017, as well as the “Bacardi Choice” commission by the Dranoff International 2 Piano Foundation and Bacardi, Int. in 2013. His commissioned composition, “Fantasia de Tres Mundos” for 2 Pianos” was premiered in April, 2014 at the South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center, and has since been performed numerous times internationally., and recorded by award winning piano duo Stephanie and Saar.

Currently, Martin heads the jazz piano department at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, teaching jazz piano, improvisation and composition, and continues to perform internationally. He is featured on several recent recordings, including the newly released Trio Miami, Straight Ahead from Havana with the Ignacio Berroa Trio, Armando Gola’s Gola Elektrik and Roy Haynes’s Roy-alty.

Feel free to bring a bottle of wine to share.

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The lead sponsor for Timucua’s Jazz Series is:
Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center of Orlando
For more information, please visit entsinusorlando.com

Live at Timucua: John Daversa and Tal Cohen

John Daversa, multi-Grammy winning Trumpeter and UM Chair of Studio Music and Jazz, presents The Art of the Duo, with Grammy-winning pianist Tal Cohen.

Watch The Bridge – John Daversa Small Band LIVE >

Feel free to bring a bottle of wine to share.

Timucua is located at 2000 S. Summerlin Ave. Orlando, FL 32806

The lead sponsor for Timucua’s Jazz Series is:
Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center of Orlando
For more information, please visit entsinusorlando.com

Live at Timucua: Tal Cohen

Tal Cohen is a Grammy award winning jazz pianist currently located in Miami. He has received much acclaim including winning the Barry Harris National Piano Competition and was the recipient of the prestigious Freedman Fellowship him performed to a sold out crowd at the Sydney Opera House.

Recently, Tal Cohen has been playing around the Globe with Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, Ignacio Berroa, Joe Lovano and others. he currently leads his own ensemble which has performed at Iconic jazz festivals and venues that include Jazzbez Jazz Festival (Ukraine), Detroit Jazz Festival, Melbourne Jazz Festival (Australia), a three week residency at the Black Cat (San Fransisco).

His most recent album- “Gentle Giants” has received international acclaim and gained him many reviews including a 4 star review from the historic Downbeat Magazine.

Cohen has become one of the most in demand pianists as he continues to tour the globe with his unique blend of Jewish melodies, traditional jazz Harmony and an impeccable rhythmic pallet forging a path to be remembered.

Feel free to bring a bottle of wine to share.

***

The lead sponsor for Timucua’s Jazz Series is:
Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center of Orlando
For more information, please visit entsinusorlando.com

Live at Timucua: Tal Cohen

Open House: Rose Grace and Sarah Jane Young- New Music for Flute and Piano (In-person and live stream)

Contemporary Women Composers From Around the World! Featuring works of Gubaidulina, Lily Boulanger, Hoover, Higdon, Coleman and LaBonnis.

Rose Shlyam Grace, a Russian-born pianist, has concertized throughout the United States as a soloist and chamber music recitalist. She has collaborated in duo and chamber music recitals with many distinguished artists. Ms. Grace has been featured as a guest artist at the Krannert Art Center in Champaign-Urbana, the “Serenade Series” in Orlando, Florida, and the Skaneateles Music Festival in New York with the members of the Pacifica Quartet. During the past several years, she has been a frequent guest artist in the Morning Chamber Music Series at Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Dr. Sarah Jane Young is Currently on faculty at the University of West Florida and Bethune-Cookman University. She has performed with the Tallahassee Symphony since 2005 and the Pensacola Symphony since 2007 after having begun her orchestral career with the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in a number of countries and performance venues such as Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. Sarah Jane has had the honor to share the stage with such prestigious artists as Gunther Schuller, Christopher O’Riley, J. K. Simmons, and Renée Fleming.

Live at Timucua: Aaron Johnson Quartet (in-person)

The sound of NYC’s bebop underground takes the stage at Timucua with the Aaron Johnson Quartet featuring master pianist Sacha Perry. Possessing wild musical imagination and fearless hearts, Johnson and Perry come together to present a premiere and exclusive selection of original music and songbook classics.

In addition to leading his own group in nearly every New York jazz establishment, from Smalls to Jazz at Lincoln Center, alto saxophonist Aaron Johnson has worked with notable jazz musicians such as Jon Batiste, Dick Hyman, Chuck Israels, Ken Peplowski, Connie Crothers, Slide Hampton, John Colianni, Ed Palermo, Pete Barbutti, and many more.

Sacha Perry was a protégé of the late Frank Hewitt and is one of the world’s foremost experts on the jazz piano canon of Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Elmo Hope, and Herbie Nichols. Perry has anchored nearly a thousand engagements at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC over the last twelve years as the first choice on piano, appearing with Across 7th Street, the Chris Byars Octet, Mike Mullins, Zaid Nasser, Grant Stewart, and fronting his own trio.

Live at Timucua: Aaron Johnson Quartet (live stream)

Open House: Duo Arpeggione (in-person)

Dynamic world-class artists Catherine Lan and Claudio Jaffe team up to form Duo Arpeggione, performing masterpieces for cello and piano delighting and inspiring audiences throughout Florida. In this concert, they will present a fiery program of sonatas by Saint Saens and Poulenc.

Sonata No. 1 In C Minor for cello and piano Op. 32 by Camille Saint-Saëns
Allegro
Andante tranquillo sostenuto
Allegro moderato

Sonata for cello and piano, FP 143 by Francis Poulenc
I. Allegro – Tempo di marcia
II. Cavatine
III. Ballabile
IV. Finale