Fran Vielma Pan-American Jazz Orchestra / (First Set)
The Fran Vielma Pan-American Jazz Orchestra blends contemporary jazz of the Americas and the Caribbean, led by Venezuelan composer and percussionist Fran Vielma.
7:00 pm. to 8:00 pm (First Set)
9:00 pm. to 10:00 pm (Second Set)
Featuring:
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Trumpets: Sam Hoyt; Gaston Kaisin; Alejandro Berti; Stuart Mack
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Trombones: Matt McDonald; Tim Vaughn; Alex Asher; Jeff Nelson
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Woodwinds: Alejandro Aviles; Jared Sims ; Jeremy Powell; Sam Dillon; Andrew Gutaukas
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Rhythm Section: Piano: Savino Palumbo; Electric Guitar: Max Light; Bass: Hamish Smith; Drums: Daniel Prim.
About Fran Vielma Pan-American Jazz Orchestra:
The Fran Vielma Pan-American Jazz Orchestra is a stellar ensemble founded in 2021 to showcase contemporary jazz deeply interwoven with the musical traditions of Pan-America—a historic fusion that emerged in 19th-century New Orleans, shaped by the Afro-Caribbean diaspora and energized by the Haitian Revolution.
The legacy of artists such as Justo Aspiazu, Chano Pozo, Mario Bauzá, Machito, Chico O’Farrill, and Dizzy Gillespie, along with Lucho Bermúdez in Colombia, Aldemaro Romero in Venezuela, and Astor Piazzolla in Argentina, serves as a profound source of inspiration for multi-award-winning composer and percussionist Fran Vielma.
The orchestra is currently working on its debut album, set for release in 2026, and features a cast of world-class musicians. Since 2022, it has held a residency at Mr. Henry’s Jazz Club in Washington, D.C., and has performed extensively throughout the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area, including appearances at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Sonic Lifeline Baltimore Jazz Series.
About Fran Vielma:
Fran Vielma is a Venezuelan-born percussionist, composer, and educator whose music blends jazz with the vibrant rhythms of the Americas. Raised in Mérida, a culturally rich city in the Venezuelan Andes, Vielma began his musical journey through folk traditions, Caribbean percussion, and classical training in Venezuela’s renowned system of youth orchestras.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, Fran has performed and recorded with artists such as Miguel Zenón, John Medeski, Antonio Sánchez, Randy Brecker, and Luis Enrique. His 2018 album Tendencias, featuring Zenón, Michael Rodríguez, and Luis Perdomo, was named among the year’s best by DownBeat, Latin Jazz Network, and NYC Jazz Record.
Vielma was awarded a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works commission to premiere his suite Common Grounds at SFJAZZ and is a grantee of both DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Jazz Road/South Arts.
Currently on faculty at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Vielma also serves as a guest educator at conservatories and institutions across the U.S. His upcoming large ensemble album, Pan-American Modernism, features artists like Troy Roberts, Sean Jones, and Alex Norris.
He proudly endorses Meinl Percussion, Vater Drumsticks, Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals, and Africatedra Venezuelan Percussion.
🌐 www.franvielma.com | 📱 @franvielmaperc | 📧 [email protected]