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Leo Blanco

Leo Blanco is a Venezuelan pianist, arranger and composer. Leo grew up in Mérida-Venezuela, where from early age he was surrounded by Venezuelan folklore – a blend of African and European musical traditions– as well as jazz, classical music and pop. At the age of 11 he already was a member of the Mérida Youth Symphony Orchestra.

After moving to Caracas at the age of 16 he performed and recorded with his own Jazz trio, while studying Improvisation, jazz harmony and piano at the musical Institute “Ars Nova” and University of Musical Studies. Soon he started working with very well known jazz and Latin pop national artists. During his eight year in Caracas, Leo obtained vast experience as a composer, arranger, and musical producer while working as musical director at the city’s oldest and most important jazz venue, Juan Sebastian Bar. There, with the Leo Blanco Trio, he shared the stage with major international jazz artist such as Terence Blanchard, Danilo Perez, Pat Metheny, Chucho Valdez (Irakere), Joao Bosco, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

His interest in world music and jazz brought him to Boston in 1996, where he immediately obtained a full scholarship to study composition and improvisation in both Berklee and then New England Conservatory. His talent and dedication to music was very quickly recognized in the US. In March 1996, Leo was the first Latin American to win to a prestigious Jazz awards: the “Boston Jazz Society Award”, and in May of the same year, he received the Billboard Grant Award for his “talent, commitment, achievement and other attributes indicating that he is likely to make a significant contribution to society through music. Comissioned to write a new piece “End of the Amazonia” for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

Leo continued to be very active in the international music scene. He has participated in a number of musical projects, adding his creativity and talents to other genres such as North American folk, Afro Latin, classical. He has played with highly acclaimed artists such as Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Luciana Souza, Bob Moses, Dave Samuels, Jamey Haddad, Antonio Sanchez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jane Bunnett.

In the international arena, Leo has been a guest of renowned World Music and Jazz Festivals, such as Newport Jazz Festival (USA), Monterey Jazz Festival (USA), North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Edinburgh’s International Festival (Scotland), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Kobe Jazz Festival (Japan), Festival de Música (Brazil), Festival Latino Americano (Italy), Festival Latino (Italy), Festival Tentarera (Germany), Music Festival de Paleo (Switzerland). He was invited to perform and record a T.V Broadcast by the Cultural Ministry of Yugoslavia. He has played as guest soloist with several Venezuelan orchestras, including Symphonic Orchestra of Funda Ayacucho, Symphonic Orchestra of Mérida and the Symphonic Orchestra of Lara.

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Catching Up With

Leo Blanco: Haiku for Bells

Read "Leo Blanco: Haiku for Bells" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Leo Blanco is a musician who's immersed in the music of his South American homeland of Venezuela. The pianist may live in the USA--he teaches piano at Berklee--but his Venezuelan upbringing remains central to his work. It's a little surprising, then, to discover that Blanco isn't solely a product of Latin American culture. In conversation backstage at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds, just before the final concert of his first UK solo tour, he recalled that some of his ...

6
Album Review

Leo Blanco: Pianoforte

Read "Pianoforte" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


The title of Leo Blanco's third album, Pianoforte, makes it clear: this is just one man and one piano. But it's an exceptional instrument, played by an exceptional musician.Blanco's 2009 album Africa Latina (Ayva Musica) and 2004's self-produced Roots & Effect featured international ensembles including guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Peter Slavov, saxophonist Dave Liebman and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Alone on stage, bereft of the support of these talented artists, Blanco shows no sign of hesitancy or lack of ...

427
Album Review

Leo Blanco: Africa Latina

Read "Africa Latina" reviewed by Mark F. Turner


The ubiquitous expression that is “world music" is becoming less relevant as musicians across the globe speak a common language that embraces varied cultures and people. Pianist, composer, and arranger Leo Blanco emphatically proves the point on Africa Latina, a mesmerizing recording that explores the unique connection between African and Venezuelan music. Whereas the similar recording by pianist Omar Sosa's Across The Divide: A Tale Of Rhythm & Ancestry (Half Note, 2009) spoke of Afro-Cuban and American ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Pianoforte

Self Produced
2013

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Africa Latina

Ayva Musica
2009

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