Primary Instrument: Piano
Marialy Pacheco represents the next generation of emerging cuban musicians. Her music is a fine balance between Cuban tradition, jazz and her classical training. She brings the piano to life with an immense talent for highly nuanced improvisation.
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1983, Marialy began her musical education at the age of seven studying piano in one of Cuba’s most prestigious Conservatoriums (Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatorium). At the age of 15 she was accepted into the National School of Arts (Escuela Nacional de Artes) in Havana, studying under Olga Valiente. At the age of 20 she was accepted into the National University of Arts in Havana, (Instituto Superior de Artes de la Havana) where she studied under Tulio Peramo for three years.
At the age of fifteen she was invited to Asturias, Spain, for her first international performance at the Festival de Jovenes Talentos. In 2002, at the age of 19, she won the Cuban competition Jo-Jazz, with Grammy award-winner Chucho Valdez presiding over the jury, and in 2004 she was invited to Bremen, Germany to record her first album Bendiciones with Weltwunder Records.
Relocating to Germany in 2004 she continued to tour Europe and build her international reputation. She was invited three consecutive years to perform in Festival Son Cuba, a touring performance that celebrates Cuban traditional music and tours Europe annually. As well as, touring extensively throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands, both as a solo pianist and with her trio.
In 2006 she was invited to perform with “Cuba Percussion” (percussionists from the Sony project “Classic meets Cuba”) at the Dresden Jazz festival, and in the same year, was awarded with the Second Prize at Choral Gables Congregational Church Florida for her work for string orchestra “Güajira para Tulio”. In 2008 she was a guest soloist at concerts with Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.
Marialy Pacheco has released 5 independent albums and in 2011 was a finalist at Europa Fest International Jazz Competition in Bucharest, Romania.
Steeped in the rhythms of her native Cuba and influenced by her love of jazz Marialy Pacheco’s third solo piano album, “Song’s That I Love” features eight “first take” tracks recorded over three hours at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane.
“Songs That I Love” is a captivating album of sound treasures that uncovers the vibrant musical talents of young pianist and composer Marialy Pacheco in her first Australian album release.
