Cesar Orozco

Orozco was born in Cuba in 1980 and earned a degree in Violin Performance and Ensemble Conducting from the National School of Arts in Havana, Cuba in 1998. The same year, he traveled to Venezuela, where he developed an important career as a pianist, arranger, composer and producer. He performed and/or recorded with some of the most important local artists, and served as a Professor of Jazz Piano and Ensembles at the National Experimental University of the Arts in Caracas. Since relocating to the New York tri-state area in 2015, Mr. Orozco has become an in-demand pianist. Some of the artists he has worked with include Paquito D’Rivera, Pedrito Martinez, Gary Thomas, Yosvany Terry, Luis Enrique, Itai Kriss, Troy Roberts, Paul Bollenback, Jeremy Warren, and Giovanni Hidalgo just to name a few. Orozco has developed an innovative approach to a fusion of Venezuelan and Cuban traditional music with Jazz along with his project Kamarata Jazz. His recordings as a leader include “Son con Pajarillo” (2007), “Ebano y Marfil” (2008), “Orozcojam” (Guataca, 2010), awarded for Best vocal/Instrumental album at Cubadisco 2012, “No Limits for Tumbao” (Alfi Records, 2015) and the latest one “Stringwise”, a duo with the outstanding Venezuelan Cuatro player Jorge Glem and awarded as Best Instrumental album at the 2020 Independent Music Awards. He is a Latin Grammy nominee 2019 for Best Arrangement for his piece "Imprevisto", recorded by Pablo Gil, Tony Succar and Raíces Jazz Orchestra.