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Leopoldo Osio

Jazz Pianist Leopoldo Osio was born in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela. He started playing piano at a very early age, inspired by Venezuelan Traditional Music. He credits George Shearing as being the first musician that got him hooked on jazz when he was 14 years old. Around this time, Leo began studying with jazz musician and promoter Ivo Farfan, who introduced him to jazz trumpet player Julio Mendoza who was to become his principal mentor and develop his interest in bebop. Leo immersed himself in the music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gilliespie, Chucho Valdes and Paquito de Rivera. At the age of 16, he was invited to perform in the Festival de Jazz en el Orinoco with important Venezuelan musicians like Ivo Farfan, Victor Cuica, Roberto Giron, and later the same year The Jazz Festival El Hatillo with Julio Mendoza Quartet.

His interest in music led him to study at several universities in 3 countries to improve his knowledge in different areas of the music, including Jazz and Latin Music at IUDEM-Venezuela, Brazilian Music at Conservatory Souza Lima-Brazil and Newpark Music Centre where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance (Hons) in 2010. Some of his Jazz Piano Professors have been Phil DeGreg from U.S. Guillherme Ribeiro from Brazil, Laurent Lecuyer and Leo Blanco from Venezuela and Phil Ware and Justin Carroll form Ireland.

He has performed with important Venezuelan musicians including Pablo Gil, Andres Briceño, Biella Da Costa and Alvaro Falcon, Leo Quintero, Xavier Padilla, Aquiles Baez, Gonzalo Mico, Orlando Poleo, Orquesta Sinfonica Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, Orquesta Sinfonica Dr. Carlos Mohle and La Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado Nueva Esparta among many others.

International Musicians include Alex Mathias, Nigel Mooney, John Moriarty, Richie and Hugh Buckley, Conor Guilfoyle and his Jazz Conclave, Kevin Brady, Damian Evans, Cormac O'Brien, Niwel Tsumbu, Cuban All Stars, Dublin City Jazz Orchestra and Hot House Big Band in Ireland, Vicente Macian and Mario Rossi in Spain, Nicolas Folmer and Pierre Bertrand from France, Alejandro Aviles form USA among many others musicians.

Leo has performed in several countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Spain, Russia and Ireland and International Jazz Festivals and Clubs include Bray Jazz Festival, Cork Jazz Festival, Festival of The World Cultures in Dun Laoghaire, Electric Picnic, Music al Carrer, XII Festival Jazz al Parque, Nagua-Nagua Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival El Hatillo, Festival de Jazz en el Orinoco, Margarita Jazz Festival. Jazz clubs: JJ Smyths and Bewleys Cafe Theater in Dublin, Sindikat Jazz Club and Ao Vivo in Sao Paulo, Cafe Mercedes Jazz in Valencia-Spain, Forte Jazz Club and The Vniigaz Auditorium in Moscow among many others.

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