ABOUT
“An articulate, lyrical and imaginative voice in jazz that deserves to be celebrated”
— Tim Wilkins, WBGO
Critically acclaimed pianist and composer Carolina Calvache has been engaging and evolving a global music exchange that extends from her native Cali, Colombia to New York City and throughout the world. A persistent and vital contributor to the New York scene for the past decade, Calvache articulates spontaneous ideas as skillfully as she composes. Her body of work as both performer and composer reflects fearless inclusivity, often drawing inspiration from mingling and disparate traditions to carve out a unique space for her own sound.
Following her widely praised debut release Sotareño (Sunnyside, 2014) — that earned a spot among the Best 10 Albums of 2014 by Latin Jazz Network — Calvache unleashes the resonating extent of her talent as a composer, orchestrator and formidable songwriter on her sophomore album Vida Profunda, set for release in 2020. Engaging a range of guest artists — including legendary multidisciplinary artist, multi GRAMMY-winning singer Rubén Blades; DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star, vocalist Sara Serpa; and internationally celebrated singer and songwriter Marta Gómez — and serving an 18-piece aggregation of distinct, versatile musicians, Calvache stretches her own mastery as a player and a band leader across 10 original tracks that, composed for each contributor to interpret uniquely.
“Her music is beautiful and challenging”
— Antonio Sanchez
A sophisticated listener, Calvache invites receptive conversation on the bandstand. Whether she’s playing an intimate trio setting or leading a 10-piece chamber band, her penchant for harmonic and melodic exploration and desire for embracing a range of musical styles has prompted collaborations with other of the music’s pioneering voices, including Jaleel Shaw, Thana Alexa, Michael Rodriguez, David Binney, John Ellis, Hans Glawischnig, Antonio Sanchez, Linda May Han Oh, Johnathan Blake, Gregoire Maret, Claudia Acuña, Juan Andrés Ospina, Ricky Rodriguez, Achilles Liarmakopoulos (Canadian Brass), Samuel Torres and Camila Meza who lent her vocals to “La Ultima Vez,” Calvache’s original song that won Best Love Song at the Independent Music Awards in 2018. Her composition Trombonsillo, which appears on Liarmakopoulos’ lauded 2017 released Ethereal, has emerged as a modern standard for trombone, enjoyed live in countless countries worldwide.
“Calvache is becoming a pioneer, making an indelible mark on jazz”
— Sunnyside Records
Tireless as a bandleader and a highly sought composer and orchestrator, Calvache has headlined institutional venues that embrace both emerging talent and established artists, including The Kennedy Center, Dizzy’s Club Coca-cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Cell Theatre, Fat Cat and The Jazz Gallery. Her touring projects comprise Carolina Calvache Quartet, through which she and her fellow artists interpret generations-old Latin American rhythms and aesthetics through contemporary sounds, and Poems & Strings, a chamber music band that features original compositions inspired by selections of poetry. She has toured nationally across Colombia via Banco de La Republica’s sponsorship, and has performed in festivals as Denton Arts Jazz Fest, Crested Butte Music Festival, Madison Music Festival, Colombian Encounter of Musicians in NYC and at the Vermont Jazz Center. Along with seven select pianists from all over the world, Calvache performed at the Kennedy Center for the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival in 2011.
“Extraordinary and marvelous”
— Toshiko Akiyoshi
Progressive art institutions frequently commission Calvache to compose and perform master-level projects for festivals and recordings. Past projects include pieces “Transitions” and “Encuentros” for the world premiere at the Trombone International Festival in 2018 and 2019. She also has crafted ambitious big band compositions as part of the prestigious BMI Jazz Workshop led by Jim McNeely. In 2017, Canadian Brass Trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos recorded Calvache’s piece Ethereal as the title track for his most recent recording. Calvache's lastes commissions include a piano and tuba piece for Munich Philharmonic tubist Ricardo Carvalhoso, a piece for trumpet and piano for Philharmonic of Colombia trumpeter Juan Fernando Avedaño,
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