Concerts

June 25

June 26

June 28

David Virelles

“My dream is to create beautiful music—to reach as many people as possible with my music.” With such an ambition, David Virelles has gained recognition as a “genius that everyone can understand.” The young Cuban has been nicknamed “the marvel” for his brilliant technique, and many believe he is destined to become one of jazz piano’s greats. Virelles blends elements of his Cuban heritage with contemporary American jazz, thus creating his own distinctive sound.

Born in Santiago de Cuba on November 10th, 1983, David Virelles Gonzalez comes by his musical talent honestly. His father is a singer-songwriter and his mother is a flautist in the Santiago de Cuba Symphony. At age 7, he began studying classical piano at prestigious music schools in Cuba, first at the Jose Maria Heredia School of Art and later at the Esteban Salas Conservatory of Music. The lively city of Santiago also offered Virelles a variety of influences that shaped his musical personality. As a teenager, he was exposed to the great American jazz artists Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis through his grandfather’s record collection.
In 1999, David met Canadian Jazz flautist/ saxophonist Jane Bunnett in one of her visits to his hometown’s conservatory. Recognized for her contributions to the world of Latin jazz, Bunnett would soon play a pivotal role in David’s career and musical evolution. At 16, Virelles, who had never left home and was not fluent in English, came to Canada as Bunnett’s protégé. He was invited to appear on her CD Alma de Santiago, which also featured some of the most remarkable artists from Santiago de Cuba. The album received critical acclaim and it was nominated for both a Grammy and a Juno Award.
Virelles and Bunnett have been close collaborators since. David has toured with Bunnett’s band Spirits of Havana throughout the USA, Canada, Western Europe and Cuba, playing major jazz festivals. Virelles’s contribution to Bunnett’s band can be heard on her album Cuban Odyssey, which won a Jazz Journalists Award in 2003 and was nominated for Juno and Grammy Awards. In addition, David was featured as an arranger and performer on Jane Bunnett’s Juno nominated CD Red Dragonfly with the Penderecki String Quartet as guests. He also contributed to Bunnett’s latest album Radio Guantanamo, which won a Juno Award in 2006.
In May of 2001, Virelles was invited by Jane Bunnett to perform at the Toronto Arts Awards and to study with some of the most prominent jazz musicians on the Toronto scene, such as Don Thompson and Brian Dickinson. He began his degree at the University of Toronto and later enrolled in the jazz program at Humber College, where he played alongside jazz greats Paquito d’Rivera, Michael Brecker and Bill Holman. Since his arrival in Canada, David has also studied with legends Barry Harris and Steve Coleman.
David has encountered many illustrious artists in his career. Among other things, he was part of the first Art of Jazz Festival, where he shared the stage with Sheila Jordan, Ray Vega, The Art of Jazz Orchestra, Francisco Mela and Ricky Franco and the P-Crew Orchestra. In addition, he has performed and recorded with important figures in Canadian jazz, including Neil Swainson, Terry Clarke, Reg Schwager, Don Thompson, Kirk McDonald, Kieran Overs, Rémi Bolduc, Denzel Sinclair, Richard Underhill, Rich Brown, Roberto Occhipinti, Alex Dean, Barry Romberg, Archie Alleyne, Norman Marshall Villenueve, P.J Perry, Dave Young, and Phil Dwyer, among others. David has also collaborated with the likes of Stanley Cowell, Dewey Redman, Steve Coleman, Mark Turner, George Garzone, John Benitez, Howard Johnson, Jason Palmer, Warren Wolf, Charles Flores, Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez, John Lockwood, Luis Mario Ochoa, etc.
Virelles currently plays with a quintet under his own name, featuring Luis Deniz on alto saxophone, Devon Henderson on upright bass, Ethan Ardelli on drums and Luis Orbegoso on percussions.
The 23-year-old pianist has received several accolades recognizing his outstanding talent. In 2006, David Virelles and his quintet won the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors, the highest distinction given out at the Montréal Jazz Festival. The quintet opened for Dave Brubeck before receiving the award. The same year, Virelles was nominated for the Canadian National Jazz Awards in the category of Best Latin Jazz Artist, and he won the CBC Galaxy Award for Rising Star. In October of 2003, he was chosen as the recipient of the first Oscar Peterson Prize. The Canadian jazz master himself presented this award to Virelles at the ceremony that was held at the Humber College Auditorium. Also, when he was only 15, Virelles won the first prize at the Concurso Jojazz in Havana, Cuba. The competition was adjudicated by several of the most prestigious jazz musicians in Cuba and afforded David an introduction to piano legends Frank Emilio Flynn and Chucho Valdés.
In 2007, the David Virelles Quintet released their debut album, Motion, on Justin Time. The CD features saxophonist Mark Turner, Brazilian musician Celso Machado as well as David’s father, José Aquiles. This intelligent recording highlights David’s virtuosity and his bold endeavour to break free from predictable music forms. Indeed, Virelles’ compositions are marked by relatively loose structures and an artful use of irregular time signatures and rhythmic superimpositions. Nevertheless, the quintet’s improvisations are always well organized and the music is highly listenable, owing in great deal to the personnel’s remarkable musicianship and sense of interaction. An inventive, yet accessible effort, Motion brilliantly displays David’s intent to follow his original dream.

Discography

Motion

CD / 2007

Media Files