Primary Instrument: Piano
Born in Havana, Cuba, Alfredo trained at the famous Manuel Saumell Classical Music Conservatory, then at the Amadeo Roldan Music Conservatory and subsequently at the Instituto Superior de Arte. His lucky break came in 2006 when he was selected as one of twelve pianists from around the world to play at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. In Montreux, Alfredo struck a chord in legendary music producer Quincy Jones who noticed Alfredo’s immense talent and decided to begin working with Alfredo. In January of 2009 Alfredo made the difficult decision to leave his family and country behind and embark on a journey to pursue a career in music in the United States.
His touring history is staggering for a 25-year-old pianist and includes the Playboy Jazz Festival, SXSWMusic Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Jazz Roots Performing Arts Center Concert Series, XVI International Open Air Festival (Poland), Jazz a Vienne Festival (France), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), Montreux Jazz festival (Switzerland), Mawazine Festival(Morocco), Mundo Latino Festival (Brazil), Shanghai International Film Festival (China), Shanghai Tourist Festival (China), and literally dozens of others. He has been chosen by various brands ranging from Mercedes Benz to Louis Vuitton to perform at high-end corporate functions and product launches. And in that short time, he has shared the stage with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, James Ingram, McCoy Tyner, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Lionel Loueke, and many, many more. Collaborating with Quincy Jones, Tan Dun, and Siedah Garrett, Alfredo composed the anthem “Better City, Better Life.” The song was selected as the official theme song of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Alfredo’s debut album will be released on Qwest / Mack Avenue Records in the Fall of 2011. The album is Produced by Quincy Jones and Alfredo Rodriguez. In Quincy’s words, “He is very special and I do not say that easily because I have been surrounded by the best musicians in the world my entire life and he is one of the best.”
