Aruan Ortiz is “the latest Cuban wonderkind to arrive in America” (BET Jazz). He arrived on the American jazz scene in 2003. This Santiago de Cuba native, a classically trained pianist and violist, has a sound that is just as influenced by contemporary classical composers like Schoenberg, Ravel and Copland, as it is by traditional Afro Cuban sounds as well as jazz greats Bud Powell and Art Tatum. After being awarded the Festival de Jazz in Vic, Spain 2000 Best Jazz Interpretation and Semifinalist in Jas Hennessy’s Piano Solo Competition, Montreux (2001), Aruan’s career in jazz took off in Europe. He was soon a first-call pianist in Paris and Barcelona. He has been playing steadily since his arrival in the USA with Terri Lyne Carrington and Greg Osby. He has recorded or played with Esperanza spalding and Gary Thomas, Wayne Krantz and Stefon Ali. Aruan describes himself as “a curious person who loves to music” and incorporates Middle Eastern, African and Afro Cuban rhythmic elements in his compositions. His recordings Impresion tropical, Universal 1996; Aruan Ortiz Trio Vol. 1 (Ayva/Pimienta/Universal, 2004); and Alameda (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2009), which received 4 stars in the Jazzwise magazine from UK and named it one of the Top Ten Jazz CDs of the year. Aruan’s ability subtly to incorporate world music elements in avant-garde Jazz makes him distinctive and easily identifiable in many styles. His musical vision allowed him to appear on dozens albums, including the Flamenco-influenced recording Evocacion RaynaldColom (Ad Lib Arts/Harmonia Mundi 2008), Jure Pukl’s Crazy (2010) Esperanza Spalding’s Junjo (Ayva Musica 2005), Russell Kirk’s Path to Journal Square, Inner Circle Music, 2009), Christoph Seigrist’s Welcome to the Blues World, Caligula Records 2010, and Ligia Franca’s Meu mundo e hoje, e hoje (Caligula Records, Meu mundo e hoje, Caligula Records 2010), Ligia Franca’s Meu mundo e hoje, Meu mundo e hoje, Caligula Records 2010, Caligula Franca’s Meu Mundo e, Lug, Meu, e, e, e, e, e, Aruan recorded the jazz album If Only for one Night (High Note), in 2010. Mark Weinstein invited him to arrange and produce “El Cumbanchero”, a CD that was inspired by traditional Cuban music for string quintets, flute, and piano. The title track won him the Latin Jazz Arrangement Of the Year award in 2011. Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre commissioned the music for his forthcoming CD Santiarican Blues Suite (Sunnyside Records 2012). This was in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Jose Mateo’s ballet “Pagan or Not”, was chosen as one of the top New England ballet performances of 2011. Aruan Ortiz, a critically acclaimed, internationally recognized performer, composer and producer, is an educator in New York City and all over the globe. from www.sunnysiderecords.com
