Bach Jumps to Cuba - Hot Jazz

Bach Jumps to Cuba – Hot Jazz, the International Series

Chuchito Valdés & Costel Nitescu & Omar Acosta / Cuba–France–Venezuela (Cuba)

Following the resounding success at the Latin America Festival and at the audience’s request, the performance by the three virtuosos returns!

They will celebrate their shared love of jazz, Latin and South American rhythms, Bach, Buena Vista folklore, and captivating Latin jazz.

What happens when a virtuoso Cuban musician encounters one of the pillars of classical music?

In the performance Bach Jumps to Cuba, Cuban pianist Chuchito Valdés brings his Afro-Cuban world together with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach—and not only—creating a journey in which the boundaries between classical and Latin music disappear.

Alongside him is Omar Acosta, an award-winning Venezuelan flutist and composer, twice nominated for a Latin Grammy, creator of the iconic work Solo de Pajarillo, and an international Yamaha artist. He is recognized as one of the leading Venezuelan flutists of his generation and served as a flutist and musical director of the National Ballet of Spain. Together, they weave a rich texture in which Bach motifs are given new breath, fiery Cuban rhythms blend with timeless elegance, and improvisation becomes a tool for connecting worlds.

Costel Nitescu has a unique style that is conquering the world; his technique is flawless and his virtuosity phenomenal. If Brazil has four stars on its national soccer team’s jersey, Romania deserves at least the same number of stars for its marvelous violinists. Costel Nitescu is part of the dream team of Romanian jazz violinists. At just 16, he became first violinist in the Bucharest National Radio Orchestra, and his classical training gave him an extraordinary ability to integrate into the various musical styles of Central Europe. In the early 2000s, he moved to Paris, where his talent as an improviser quickly placed him at the forefront of gypsy jazz.

Chuchito Valdés is the third generation of the legendary Valdés dynasty, a Latin Grammy nominee, former leader of Irakere, and a piano master who combines Afro-Cuban jazz, Caribbean music, and swing in an electrifying performance that ignites the stage with swing, groove, and irresistible energy.

This is an evening in which Bach embarks on a tropical journey—full of humor, freedom, and creativity—as he has never sounded before!

Featuring:

• Chuchito Valdés — piano (Cuba)
• Costel Nitescu — violin (France)
• Omar Acosta — flute (Venezuela)