Arturo O'Farrill
“One of our greatest living pianists.”
Born in Mexico and raised in New York, Arturo O’Farrill is a prolific pianist, composer, and passionate promoter of Latin music and its cultural heritage. Arturo is the founder and Artistic Director of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Afro Latin music through performance, education and preservation.
Throughout his career, he has played with several bands and orchestras all over the world, including his own Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and the Arturo O’Farril Sextet. He has also performed with Ballet Hispánico and the Malpaso Dance Company, and composed pieces for the Evidence Dance Company and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
Schedule
The Pocket
Presented by Belongó, GRAMMY Award-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill leads the 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Continuing their 29 year-long weekly NYC residency, the band performs a broad spectrum of repertoire from celebrated Latin classics to original compositions and contemporary works by some of the most impactful musicians in the city.
Performing Arts Center SLO
“Breathtaking, inventive array of Afro-Cuban jazz.” — LAist, 89.3FM
Mexican American pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill is a towering figure in contemporary music, renowned for his genre-defying virtuosity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to social justice through music. A 6-time Grammy and 2-time Latin Grammy winner, O'Farrill is “one of our greatest living pianists” (Downbeat) as he bridges the gap between Latin rhythms, modern jazz, and contemporary composition—pushing boundaries while maintaining a profound connection to his roots.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
The 2026–27 Jazz Series opens with its defining voice. Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra bring the full force of Afro-Cuban rhythm, modern jazz harmony, and big-band brilliance to the Concert Hall. Founded at Jazz at Lincoln Center and now celebrated internationally under O'Farrill's leadership, the Orchestra represents jazz as a living, evolving art form—rooted in history, yet urgently contemporary. As Segerstrom Center's inaugural Artist-in-Residence, O'Farrill anchors the season's exploration of “Now,” demonstrating how jazz continues to absorb, respond, and reinvent. This opening-night performance sets the tone for a season driven by excellence, energy, and forward momentum.
“New York pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill has not just continued but renewed that musical discussion with a breathtaking, consistently inventive array of Afro-Cuban jazz over two CDs.”
Mundoagua: Celebrating Carla Bley
The album, recorded in tribute to the late Carla Bley, will feature Blue Palestine, the composer's final commissioned work for O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.
SEE album details
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