ARUAN ORTIZ “Cub(an)ism

The musical journey of Bergamo Jazz 2025 begins with a pianist of Cuban origin who has been playing an important role in the contemporary jazz scene for years. Born in Santiago de Cuba, Aruán Ortiz later settled in Brooklyn and Spain: among the overseas musicians he has collaborated with are Esperanza Spalding, James Brandon Lewis, Greg Osby, Andrew Cyrille, Cindy Blackman Santana, Terri Lyne Carrington, Oliver Lake, Don Byron, Rufus Reid, Wadada Leo Smith, Wallace Roney and others. He has recorded several albums for the Swiss label Intakt, including Cub(an)ism, recorded solo in 2026 and becoming a reference for his solo piano performances. An album whose tracks, as Florian Keller wrote in the liner notes, were born “from specific ideas and moods, imperceptibly developed along systematic constructions seasoned with unexpected events. Despite a certain formal adherence, the music of Cub(an)ism always remains sensual. Using clear but flexible systems, the music lives on structures and surprises. Crystal structures dissolve abruptly, clear forms blur like a reflection in stormy water, before re-emerging. Ortiz’s music breathes this magic, the fascination of dancing structures.” Aruán Ortiz’s pianism is therefore eclectic, drawing vital energy from the various experiences lived around the world, in contact with different cultures.

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