Aruán Ortiz Trio (CUB/USA)

Aruán Ortiz has been described as “one of the most creative and original composers in the world” (Lynn René Bailey, The Art Music Lounge). Born in Cuba, the pianist, violist, and composer has lived in Brooklyn, New York, for more than 15 years, where he has become an active presence in the city’s progressive jazz and avant-garde scene.

His work reflects a profound engagement with the rich and diverse musical heritage of Afro-diasporic communities across the Americas, honoring their oral and intergenerational traditions while reimagining them within a contemporary framework. Frequently described by All About Jazz as an artist who “doesn’t simply expand the possibilities of jazz, but redefines what diasporic music can be in the 21st century,” Ortiz is celebrated as a singular stylist whose creative vision reaches far beyond the conventional boundaries of the genre.