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Harold Lopez-Nussa

Was born in Havana, Cuba, on July 13, 1983. At the age of 8, he began his piano studies at the Manuel Saumell Conservatory. In 1995, he goes to study at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory. Some years later he finishes the specialty in Classic Piano and graduates at theHigher Institute of Arts (ISA).

During his young career he has performed as solist at Cuba’s most important theatres. He has performed with Cuban National Symphony Orchestra, Holguín Symphony Orchestra, Matanzas Symphony Orchestra and Havana Lyceum Mozartiano. He has played together with outstanding figures of Cuban traditional music and popular music, as well as with known jazz musicians such as Chucho Valdés, David Sánchez, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, Christian Scott, Stefon Harris, Bobby Carcassés, Elmer Ferrer and Alexander Brown. He was a band member for Omara Portuondo´s international tours since 2008-2011, and also he's actually a member of Maraca & The Monterey Latin Jazz All-Stars, a project that brings together excellent jazz musicians.

In 2007 he decides to focus on Jazz and creates his own band made up of talented and recognized musicians.

He has performed at important international venues such as the Olympia Theater and the anthological New Moring in Paris, the Barbican Center in London and the Ronnie Scott, the Satin Doll at Bordeux, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Wien Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Marciac Jazz Festival, Oslo World Music Festival, Barcelona Jazz International Festival, Nord Sea Jazz Festival, Martinique Jazz Festival, Verona Jazz Festival, 33rd Conference of International Association for Jazz Educators (IAJE), Enghien Les Bains 1st Piano Festival, OLoron Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, Jazz Standard in New York, Cotton Club at Tokio among many others.

He has received significant national and international awards in the classic and Jazz world. The most relevant one was the First Prize and the Audience Prize of the Solo Piano Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, on July 2005. Likewise, he received the “Jazz Talent 2011” granted by the French Music Association (ADAMI).

His records Cinco Conciertos para Piano y Orquesta de Heitor Villa-lobos (2003), where Harold plays the Number 4 Concert,Sobre el atelier (2007), Canciones (2008), Herencia (2009), El país de las maravillas (2011), New Day (2013) and El Viaje (2016) highlight not only his virtuosity and versatility as an interpreter but also his dimension as a composer and arranger.

He has been part of relevant record projects such as Ninety Miles (Concord Picante), Esencial (Leo Brouwer), Rhythms del Mundo (Universal Music TV. Artists Project Earth), The Revolution presents REVOLUTION (Rapster Records) and Jazz Cuba Today (Unicornio. Abdala).

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Radio & Podcasts

Harold López-Nussa Interview

Read "Harold López-Nussa Interview" reviewed by Steven Roby


This episode of Backstage Jazz features an interview with jazz pianist Harold López-Nussa. We discussed his new album Timba a la Americana (Blue Note), and his upcoming show at Dazzle on Saturday, November 18. Cuban-born pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa begins an exciting new chapter of his fascinating career with his Blue Note debut Timba a la Americana, a vibrant album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist's recent decision to leave his Cuban ...

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Live Review

Harold López-Nussa at Freight and Salvage

Read "Harold López-Nussa at Freight and Salvage" reviewed by Roy Strassman


Harold López-Nussa Freight & Salvage Berkeley, CA October 28, 2021 Cuban piano sensation Harold López-Nussa blessed the Bay Area with a Thursday evening performance at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage venue. He fielded quite an unusual and extraordinary band for the evening's exciting and heart-warming gig for a smallish but intimate crowd, with many musicians in attendance. The front line was Swiss harmonica phenom Gregoire Maret, acoustic bassist Luques Curtis of Eddie Palmieri ...

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Catching Up With

Harold Lopez-Nussa: from Havana to Indianapolis

Read "Harold Lopez-Nussa: from Havana to Indianapolis" reviewed by Fernando Rodriguez


This interview was translated from Spanish. Harold Lopez-Nussa's music reflects the full range and richness of Cuban music, with its distinctive combination of classical, folk and popular elements, as well as its embrace of jazz improvisation and interaction. His trio was invited to play at this year's Indy Jazz Fest in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lopez-Nussa was born into a musical family in Havana on July 13, 1983, and still lives in the city's Vedado neighborhood. He has ...

Album Review

Harold Lopez-Nussa: El Viaje

Read "El Viaje" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Trentaquattro anni, nato a L'Avana, formazione classica, un interesse per il jazz sorto all'età di diciotto anni e diventato esclusivo negli ultimi dieci, tanto da farlo passare dai festival di mezzo mondo con suoi progetti: questa in sintesi la figura del pianista cubano Harold Lòpez-Nussa, che con questo El viaje torna in patria sia fisicamente (il disco è registrato a L'Avana), sia artisticamente (le composizioni sono impregnate dalle atmosfere cubane), ancorché arricchito dalle esperienze accumulate nel suo girovagare.

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Album Review

Harold Lopez-Nussa: El Viaje

Read "El Viaje" reviewed by James Nadal


Prodigious pianist Harold López-Nussa has come full circle. With numerous acclaimed recordings, and acknowledged as a seasoned performer on international stages, he returns home and records El Viaje in Havana, Cuba, offering musical insights on the world through his piano. Continuing with his established trio format, which includes his brother Ruy Adrián López-Nussa on drums and Senegalese bassist Alune Wade, he improvises upon vast classical influences while adhering to his Cuban roots, concocting an exceptional style of global jazz.

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Album Review

Harold Lopez Nussa: New Day

Read "New Day" reviewed by Maurizio Zerbo


Cuba è sempre stata una feconda fucina di talenti jazz, con pianisti del calibro di Gonzalo Rubalcaba e Chucho Valdes. Sulle orme di questi maestri tenta di muoversi il trentenne Harold Lopez-Nussa, già collaboratore di David Sanchez. Le prime due tracce del CD ne riassumono le enormi potenzialità artistiche, talora distratte da sonorità elettriche di più facile impatto. Sia “A deguello" che “Cimarron" mettono in luce la maestria tecnica di musicista completo, capace di coniugare il ...

5
Album Review

Harold Lopez-Nussa: New Day

Read "New Day" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Havana-native pianist/composer Harold López-Nussa is not an unknown entity. He has released five recordings previous to the present New Day and all before 30 years of age. His is a an assertive Latin Jazz infused with the essence of Western Europe. His training includes the Manuel Saumell and Amadeo Roldán Conservatories, graduating with a specialty in Classic Piano from the Higher Institute of Arts. His attention eventually turned toward jazz, an area he has continued to expand and expound upon ...

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Obituary

Jazz this week: Harold López-Nussa, Filippo Cosentino, Alice Ripley, and more

Jazz this week: Harold López-Nussa, Filippo Cosentino, Alice Ripley, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a pianist from Cuba, a guitarist from Italy, a cabaret show from a singer and actress who has earned Broadway's highest honor, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, October 18 Cuban-born pianist Harold López-Nussa makes his St. Louis debut in the first of four evenings at Jazz at the Bistro. For more about López-Nussa and some video samples of him and his trio in action, see ...

Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Harold López-Nussa

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Harold López-Nussa

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on pianist Harold López-Nussa, who will make his St. Louis debut with performances starting this coming Wednesday, October 18 and continuing through Saturday, October 21 at Jazz at the Bistro. Now 34 years old, López-Nussa grew up as part of a musical family in Havana, Cuba. His father, drummer Ruy Francisco López-Nussa, and uncle Ernán, a pianist, both were working musicians; his mother Mayra Torres was a piano teacher; and his younger brother Ruy ...

Event

Aldo López-Gavilán & Harold López-Nussa In Concert

Source: Ever Chavez

FUNDarte kicks off its 10th anniversary season with two innovators from the new generation of Cuban pianists Aldo López-Gavilán and Harold López-Nussa. Miami, Florida- On Saturday, November 24th, FUNDarte will be presenting Cuban Pianists Aldo López-Gavilán & Harold López-Nussa in Concert. The event will take place at the new On.Stage Black.Box Theater at Miami-Dade County Auditorium (2901 W. Flagler St., Miami). The Wild Youth of Cuban Piano This performance marks the opening of FUNDarte’s 10th anniversary season of presenting exciting, ...

"Pianist Harold López-Nussa is the latest in a line of extraordinary keyboardists to emerge from Cuba." –DownBeat

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Higher Grounds

Outside in Music
2022

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Te Lo Dije

Mack Avenue Records
2020

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El Viaje

Mack Avenue Records
2016

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New Day

Harmonia Mundi
2013

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I Fall In Love Too Easily

From: Higher Grounds
By Harold Lopez-Nussa

Videos

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