About the Event

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of 12, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist, and composer.  

Sandoval has been awarded 10 Grammy Awards® and nominated 19 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award®—the latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, For Love or Country, which starred Andy Garcia as Sandoval. His recent Grammy®-winning albums Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You) and Tango – Como Yo Te Siento are available worldwide. Sandoval’s newest album, Eternamente Manzanero, is a fresh, modern take on his beautiful bolero music. 

Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy®-winning group Irakere, whose explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock, and traditional Cuban music caused a sensation throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, which garnered enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences all over the world. He has since become one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammys, and the Billboard Music Awards.   

Sandoval’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Bill Conti, and Stan Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, and Alicia Keys. His compositions can be heard in many movies, including 1001 to 1, starring Beau Bridges; At Middleton, starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga; and Mambo Kings, with his Grammy®-nominated composition “Mambo Caliente.” 

Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does.