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The
Beginning
1954
•
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic. • Enters the
National Conservatory at age
nine. • At age 14, listens
to Art Tatum on the radio playing
"Tea for Two" and
decides to become a jazz musician.
• At age 16, becomes the
youngest member of the National
Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican
Republic (NSODR)
1979 •
Relocates to New York; studies
at Mannes College and at The
Juilliard School.
Highlights
of the 80s
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.
Highlights
of the 90s
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.
Highlights
of 2000 and beyond
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.
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