Carolina Calvache is a pianist and composer, winner of the 16th Independent Music Awards with her song “La Ultima Vez” featuring Camila Meza. In 2011, Carolina was selected to participated in the Mary Lou Williams Woman in Jazz Festival at The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Legendary pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi described her music as “Extraordinary and Marvelous”. Following her widely praised debut release Sotareño (Sunnyside, 2014) that features Antonio Sanchez, Jaleel Shaw, and Michael Rodriguez,— earned a spot among the Best 10 Albums of 2014 by The Latin Jazz Network — Calvache unleashes the resonating extent of her talent as a composer, orchestrator and songwriter on her sophomore album Vida Profunda (Sunnyside Records, 2020). Engaging a range of guest artists — including legendary multi-Grammy-winning singer Rubén Blades; DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star, vocalist Sara Serpa; Multi Grammy-winning harmonica player Gregoire Mare and Chilean Latin Grammy vocalist Claudia Acuña.
In 2014 Carolina joined the prestigious BMI Jazz Workshop led by Jim McNeely. Carolina’s music has been part of The Jazz Composers Showcases lead by Miho Hazama and the Jazz Gallery in NYC. Calvache latest commission includes a collaboration with the group “Bonegasm” led by trombonist Jennifer Wharton. Carolina is part of the Latin fusion band “People of Earth”, which has performed in prestigious halls including the Walt Disney Hall.
Other writing projects include collaborations with the NY Philharmonic, world premiere pieces at the Trombone International Festival in 2018 and 2019, and a premier at the 2022 International Trumpet Festival. Commissions by musicians from the Cleveland orchestra and the Munich Philharmonic. In 2017, Canadian Brass Trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos recorded Calvache’s pieces “Ethereal” and “Trombonsillo.” The latest composition became a standard piece in the trombone world and is part of the 2023 ABRSM international syllabus for brass instruments.
Calvache has worked as an active educator. In 2015, she received a piano faculty appointment at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in Tamil, India. In 2016 she became faculty at the Vermont Jazz Summer Camp. Calvache has also worked as a faculty lecturer position at LaGuardia College, and the Jazz Power Initiative program in NYC. Carolina is currently faculty at the Universty of Miami Summer Camp, she holds a master’s degree from the University of North Texas and is currently pursuing a DMA in jazz composition at The University of Miami.
Thursday, January 5, 2023
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM US EST