Manuel Valera

BIO:  Born​ ​and​ ​raised​ ​in​ ​Havana, Cuba, ​Grammy​ ​nominated​ ​pianist​ ​and​ ​composer​ ​Manuel​ ​Valera​ is a Guggenheim Fellow who has​ ​recorded​ ​13​ ​CDs ​as​ a​ ​​bandleader​ ​with​ ​touring​ ​projects ranging​ ​from​ ​his​ ​Grammy​ ​nominated​ ​group​ ​New​ ​Cuban​ ​Express​ ​to​ ​​modern​ ​contemporary jazz trio​ ​to​ ​solo​ ​piano. Jazz critic Howard Mandel claims that “it’s an unalloyed pleasure to discover a young man so accomplished that his potential seems boundless. Pianist-composer, Manuel Valera is indeed, prime mover of this Forma Nueva.”

Valera has recorded or performed with​ ​Arturo​ ​Sandoval, Paquito ​​D’Rivera,​​ Brian ​​Lynch, ​​Dafnis​​ Prieto,​​ Jazz​​ at​​ Lincoln ​​Center​ ​Orchestra,​​ Jeff​​ “Tain” Watts,​​ John​​ Benitez,​​ Samuel​​ Torres,​​ Joel​​ Frahm,​​ Yosvany​​ Terry, John Pattitucci, ​​and​​ classical​​ violin​ v​irtuoso Joshua​ ​Bell​ ​among​ ​many​ ​others. He ​is​ ​the​ ​recipient​ ​of​ ​many​ ​composition​ ​grants​ —​ ​​most​ ​notably​ he has received three New Jazz Works awards from ​Chamber​ ​Music​ ​America, the​ A​SCAP​ ​Young​ ​Jazz​ ​Composer​ ​Award and twice been commissioned by the​​ Dranoff​​ International​​ Piano​​ Foundation. Valera has received commissions from PBS, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Bacardi, and the Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation. Valera ​has​ ​travelled​ ​the​ ​world​ numerous times over, ​performing​ ​in​ ​more​ ​than 30​ ​countries​.

“He leaves no doubt that he’s destined to play a role in the future of jazz. Valera shows a keen jazz vocabulary, a gift for creating grooves that invite stellar solo flights from his collaborators and the nerve to romance a melody when it suits him.”
–Philip van Vleck, Billboard