Tuesday, November 19th
Killian Hall
During the completion of his jazz piano bachelor's degree at the Manhattan School of Music, Almazan immersed himself in the realm of orchestral composition studying instrumentation and orchestration with Mr. Giampaolo Bracali.
Almazan is the founder and director of Biophilia Records. Biophilia means "an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems.” In addition to creating meaningful and imaginative music, Biophilia Records artists are united by a common interest in having a positive impact on the environment and our communities. Biophilia artists collaborate with organizations that specialize in conservation, sustainability and outreach initiatives, regularly volunteering hands-on in community events.
As an environmentalist and naturalist, Almazan travelled back to his birthplace where he made field recordings of endemic Cuban birds which were then Incorporated into "This Land Abounds With Life", Almazan's most recent and 5th album as a leader. He is the founder and director of Biophilia Records and has worked diligently towards ensuring a continued dialogue of awareness concerning music and environmental justice.
As a performer, Almazan has developed a personal voice through the electric manipulation of the acoustic piano in live and studio settings. He has toured his music extensively as well as accompanied artists such as Linda May Han Oh, Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato, John Hollenbeck, Mark Guiliana, Dave Douglass, Avishai Cohen and Ambrose Akinmusire among others.
Awards include 2 Grammy nominations, the SWR New Jazz Meeting commission, the Copland Fund, the Jerome Fund for Emerging Composers Award, the Jazz Gallery Residency, Rockerfeller Brothers Residency, Cintas Foundation Award in Composition and the Sundance Composers’ Lab. Almazan is currently pursuing a PhD at Harvard University.
The Emerson/Harris Masterclass Series is supported in part by the Robert L. Malster (1956) Fund.
