PIANISSIMO: Rafael Zaldivar & Félix Stüssi
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Rafael Zaldivar
When JUNO Nominee Cuban pianist and composer Rafael Zaldivar sits down at the
piano, he brings a wealth of inspiration to the keys. His compositions display his percussion
expertise, his many years of collaborating with top jazz musicians, and his cultural heritage. Born
in Camagüey, Cuba, Zaldivar is carrying on a rich family legacy of musicianship. After taking up percussion and piano at a young age, Zaldivar
pursued his studies at the Higher Institute of Arts in Havana. Once Zaldivar came to Canada at the age of 22, he completed a B.A. at the
Université de Montréal and an M.A. and a D.Mus. from McGill University. From then on, his musical career has flourished, bringing him
opportunities to work with such excellent musicians as Barry Harris, Kenny Barron, and Herbie Hancock. In recent years, Zaldivar has
participated in many international jazz festivals, including the Jazz Festival, Rochester (New York), the Jazz Festival of Querétaro (Mexico),
the Festival Jazz North Sea (Holland), among others. Zaldivar had the honor of being personally invited to Boston’s Bean Town Jazz Festival
by jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington (multiple GRAMMY Award Winner) and had the chance to share the stage with this renowned artist.
Zaldivar has also played with Roy Hargrove, Steve Coleman, Nate Smith, Ben Wendel, Ari Hoenig, Dan Weiss, Nir Felder, and Greg Osby;
and he has recorded with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Miguel Zenón, and Ingrid Jensen. In the fall of 2021, Zaldivar was invited by the Berklee Music
College and in December 2022 by The Manhattan School of Music to be a Visiting Artist; there he gave two workshops on Afro-Cuban rhythmic
Integration in Contemporary Jazz Composition and Improvisation. Recently, Zaldivar received the Second Award from the International Jazz
Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. In addition, Zaldivar was a member of the jury for the 2023 and 2024 Juno Awards.
Zaldivar’s skills as an artistic director, pianist, and composer have enabled him to build and solidify his career both on the Canadian jazz scene
and internationally.
www.rafaelzaldivar.co
Félix Stüssi
Be it on a bicycle or behind the keys, Félix Stüssi loves adventure and fresh air. Since his move from Switzerland to Canada, Stüssi has turned his back on journalism - jazz piano and composition are now his main focus. In 2007, his quintet won the prestigious Grand Prix of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. A year later, US-trombonist Ray Anderson joined the project and the band turned into a sextet. The four albums of the group were very well received on both sides of the Atlantic, they were nominated for several prizes (Juno Awards, ADISQ, Prix Opus).
The quartet SuperNova 4 with Jean Derome (saxes, flute), Normand Guilbeault (bass) and Pierre Tanguay (drums) has released a self-titled album in 2020 (Effendi FND159), followed by UNICUM in 2024 (FND171). During the pandemic, the duo Jean Derome & Félix Stüssi have produced PAPPERLAPAPP (FND168), recorded and filmed in the pianist’s living room. In 2025, Félix Stüssi and Ray Anderson are planning on recording a first duo-album, stay tuned.
Félix Stüssi returns regularly to Europe, where he has played among others with Bruno Spoerri, Nils Wogram, Jürg Wickihalder, Christoph Grab, Werner Fischer and Peter A. Schmid. Schmid and Stüssi have recorded a duo CD which has been released on Unit Records in January 2017 (Transatlantic Conversations, UTR 4738). In January 2017, the region Glarus Nord (Switzerland) has honoured Stüssi with a culture price. In 2015 and 2022, Ray Anderson and Félix Stüssi have toured in Europe as a duo.
As a member of the Auguste Quartet and the Jazzlab Orchestra, Félix Stüssi has frequently toured in Canada, Europe and Asia. He was commissioned to compose and arrange an entirely new repertoire for the Jazzlab Orchestra, featured on the group’s album Quintessence (Effendi, FND 152).
felixstussi.com
