ARUÁN ORTIZ (1973). Pianist, violist, and composer, born in Santiago de Cuba. Aruán has been an active figure in the progressive jazz and avant-garde scene in the U.S. for more than two decades. His music has been lauded as “a solid and unique new sound in today’s jazz world” by Matthew Fiander in PopMatters; “one of the most creative and original composers in the world” by Lynn René Bailey in The Art Music Lounge; and “an experimentalist and a tonal provocateur, influenced by European modernism and contemporary jazz as much as by Afro-Cuban tradition” by Giovanni Russonello in the New York Times.

Inspired by an array of influences from Afro-Cuban and Afro-Haitian traditions, avant-garde, progressive jazz, and contemporary classical language, Aruán’s personal musical approach expands stylistic boundaries, and highlights the Afro-Caribbean experience as the center of his musical narrative. Ortiz has recorded 16 albums as a leader, collaborated on 30 recordings, and produced 20 albums of creative music. His music has been released by Intakt Records, Sunnyside, Clean Feed, Universal Music among many others.

Currently a Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition (2024) and Hermitage Fellow (2024), he holds an MFA in music composition from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where he received a Composer Fellow Award in 2016. Aruán is also a Doris Duke Impact Awardee (2014) and Composers Now Fellow (2016), among other recognitions and awards. He has written music for jazz ensembles, classical orchestras, dance companies, classical chamber groups, and feature films. In recent years, his music has been interpreted by soprano Julia Bullock, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, San Francisco Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, pianist Geoffrey Burleson, poet and writer Terrance McKnight, clarinetist Don Byron, Harlem Chamber Players, Talujon Percussion Ensemble, Camerata Urbana Ensemble, Musica de Cámara Strings, Ensemble Ipse, members of Bang on the Can All Stars, and Norwegian folk singer-songwriter Grete Skarpeid, among many others.