Alvaro Is Rojas - solo pianist

  • Music
  • Bio
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • News

Printer-friendly

Alvaro Is Rojas (b. 1946 in Barcelona, Spain) is a pianist and composer, who has lived in Stockholm, Sweden since the late 1960s. After having completed classical piano and composition studies at the Barcelona Conservatory, he worked as a touring music director for vocalist Josephine Baker. He later studied at Berklee College of Music with John LaPorta and Herb Pomeroy, and worked with electronic music in New York in the late 70s. In the early 80s, Rojas returned to Stockholm for a position as a professor at the Royal College of Music. In recent years, he has mainly worked as a major visiting artist, giving seminars in improvisation, harmony and ear-training. Mr. Rojas is, however, best known for his many solo piano recordings. The recordings feature his own compositions and personal renditions of the American songbook. He recorded his first three albums for Cadence Records.

Alvaro is Rojas is an artist concerned with spiritual explorations of subdued space and harmony. His music is inspired by the possibilities of tonal shadings of improvisations and creativity. Jazz Times Magazine

Alvaro Is Rojas has marked his solo release as an item true to the heart of jazz. It leaves a lasting impression that he improvises freely around songs that we recognize and enjoy seeing in a new light. Marge Hofacre's Jazz News

Rojas takes the music a step further by mixing a decidedly non-American improvisation style with American jazz standards. The outcome rejuvenates both of the swung-to-death songs, and reinstates a deserved element of class. Dave McElfresh, Tucson Weekly

Alvaro Is Rojas possesses an innate ability for teaching and demonstrating at the piano; an additional asset is his positive well-tempered nature. I certainly advocate that teachers of jazz improvisation attend his seminars. Walter Norris, pianist

Download picture JPEG

Biography Printer-friendly

Hiding Solo Jazz Pianist Revealed on Dedicated Excavations

Jazz pianist and composer Alvaro Is Rojas represents the mysterious on the world jazz scene. He has successfully escaped from the mainstream scene for nearly forty years, at least if the standard of gig frequency is set by his more famous contemporaries, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and... Full Story