Michel Camilo

Birthdate: April 4, 1954

Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

BACKGROUND

Michel Camilo was born into a musical family and showed a great interest in music when he was just young. Though he loved to play the accordion, he was far more interested in his grandparents' piano. At age 3, he composed his first song. When he asked his parents for a piano, they responded by sending him to study at the National Conservatory, then bought his piano a year later.

HIGHLIGHTS

Michel Camilo became a member of the National Symphony Orchestra at age 16

1979 • Moves to New York and studies at Mannes College and at The Juilliard School

1980 • Performs and records in New York with the band French Toast.

1981 • Performs on stage for Bob Fosse’s hit Broadway show Dancin'.

1983 • Performs at the Montreal Jazz Festival with Tito Puente. • Begins touring with D'Rivera for three years while also performing with his own sextet and trio in the New York clubs. • The Manhattan Transfer wins a Grammy Award for its vocal version of Why Not?

1984 • Why Not? becomes the title song on an album by Paquito D'Rivera.

1985 • Makes debut at Carnegie Hall with his trio; tours Europe the same year as part of Paquito D’Rivera’s quintet. • Performs as special guest with Tania Maria. • Records his first album titled Why Not?

1986 • First official tour as a leader, debuts with his sextet at the Berlin Jazz Festival. • Performs with Jaco Pastorius, Randy Brecker, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim among others at the Beacon Theatre in New York. • Records his second album Suntan/In Trio.

1987 • Makes debut as a classical conductor when the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic invites him to conduct a gala featuring the works of Rimsky-Korsakoff, Beethoven, Dvorak and Camilo’s own composition, “The Goodwill Games Theme,” which won an Emmy Award. • Begins tenure as musical director of the Dominican Republic's Heineken Jazz Festival (through 1992), where he accompanied Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Stanley Turrentine and many other jazz luminaries.

1988 • First major label album, Michel Camilo (Sony) becomes an instant success, holding the top jazz album spot for ten consecutive weeks. •Performs with Lionel Hampton at Town Hall in New York for his anniversary concert celebration.

1989 • On Fire voted one of the top three Jazz Albums of the Year by Billboard

1990 • On the Other Hand becomes a top-ten release on the jazz charts. • Pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque record Caribe.

1991 • The legendary Dizzy Gillespie records Caribe. • Tours with the Labèque sisters as part of a three-piano ensemble performing a Classical and Jazz repertoire.

1992 • Rhapsody for Two Pianos and Orchestra, commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra, premieres at the Royal Festival Hall performed by Katia & Marielle Labèque.

1993 • Billboard magazine picks Rendezvous as one of the top jazz albums of the year. • Performed in an All-Star Gala at The White House celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival, broadcast nationwide by PBS as part of “In Performance At The White House”. • Judge for the prestigious Great American Jazz Piano Competition at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.

1994 • Releases his renowned Big Band album One More Once . Tours with the Labèque sisters as part of a three-piano ensemble performing a Classical and Jazz repertoire.

1995 • Appears in the movie and composed the soundtrack for the film Two Much directed by the Oscar-winning Spaniard Fernando Trueba.

1996 • Performs a series of piano recitals as part of Copenhagen’s Cultural Capital of Europe celebration • Debuts at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; performs at Carnegie Hall in New York. • Performs in Israel, Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Switzerland, where he debuts at Zurich's prestigious Tonhalle concert hall as part of the Jazz Piano Masters series. • Thru My Eyes is released reaching the top jazz radio airplay position.

1998 • Serves as co-artistic director for the first Latin-Caribbean Music Festival at the Kennedy Center, which featured performances by his trio and big band, as well as the world premiere of his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra as guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

1999 • Performs at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdés. • Debuts with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.

2000 • Verve release, Spain, with guitarist Tomatito, wins Best Latin Jazz Album in the first-ever Latin Grammy Awards. • Performs at Carnegie Hall for the JVC Jazz Festival in a duet concert with both Tomatito and Chucho Valdés. • Guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the "Piano 2000" festival, also premiering his NSO commissioned composition Tango for Ten Pianos.

2001 • Appears in the movie and on the soundtrack CD for the acclaimed Latin jazz film Calle 54, directed by the Oscar-winning Spaniard Fernando Trueba. • Lectures and performs at many festivals, universities and colleges throughout Europe and the United States, including New York University, Berklee School of Music, MIT, Montreux Conservatory, William Paterson College and Puerto Rico Conservatory. • Decca releases Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, Suite for Piano, Strings and Harp & Caribe recorded in London with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin, to celebrate his debut at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

2002 • Decca releases worldwide Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, Suite for Piano, Strings and Harp & Caribe to celebrate his guest appearance with the NSO conducted by Leonard Slatkin at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. • Telarc releases Triangulo, which garners a Grammy nomination for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album”. • Performs with his 17-piece Latin Jazz Band at the Marciac Jazz Festival. Concert is broadcast “live” for France and Germany by the ARTE channel. • Debuts at L’Auditori in Barcelona, Spain. • See You Later commissioned by and premiered at the San Francisco Jazz Festival to celebrate his debut concert. • JazzTimes and UPI pick Triangulo as one of the top jazz albums of the year.

2003 • Appointed as the Herb Alpert Visiting Professor at Berklee College of Music. • Telarc releases Live at the Blue Note • Performs at the Newport Jazz Festival with his trio and special guest David Sanchez. • Debuts at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, with a simulcast on National Public Radio. • Appeared as guest soloist at six symphonic concerts in Denmark and Spain, including his debut at the Perelada Festival. • Performs a Solo and Duets concert with Joe Lovano in Germany at the Klavier Ruhr festival. • Debuts at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland with a Solo Piano recital. • Tours extensively in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; as well as the US.

2004 • Wins GRAMMY AWARD for Best Latin Jazz Album for Live at the Blue Note.

Sources:

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Camilo

Michel Camilo Official Website http://www.michelcamilo.com/