Xavi Torres

Pianist Xavi Torres is one of the most outstanding musicians coming from the Spanish and European scene. He is currently living in Amsterdam, where he already had the opportunity to play and collaborate with great musicians such as Dick Oatts, Terell Stafford, Nir Felder (recording for Dutch public TV), Ben van Gelder, Reinier Baas, Tineke Postma, Raynald Colom, Horacio Fumero and Jasper Blom.

He began playing the piano thanks to his older sister, and soon found a tool to express himself honestly, plus a refuge from the outside world. After some years, and in spite of the classical training, the attraction of jazz and improvised music encouraged him to study for a jazz piano bachelor in ESMuC, Barcelona, where he achieved honors studying with teachers such as Lluís Vidal, Albert Bover and Joan Díaz. Once in Amsterdam, he finished the Jazz Master and Classical Bachelor at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, one of the best in the world, with David Kuyken and Harmen Fraanje, among others.

He leads his own group, the Xavi Torres Trio, which won the most prestigious Dutch contest, the Dutch Jazz Competition 2016, where the jury said: „They had a lyrical, technical and rhythmic superiority, with a huge potential, energy and Interplay. Harmonically sounds very interesting, with lots of fun moments. An exciting and surprising musical history.“

The band was also awarded the “Best jazz group of 2015” by the Catalan Jazz Association.
In March 2015 he won, also with the Xavi Torres Trio, the contest Keep An Eye International Jazz Award, at which in 2014 he had already won the best soloist prize.

He has recorded more than 20 CDs with different bands, including Lluc Casares RED, Vuma Ian Levin, BVR Flamenco Big Band, Verd i Blau, as well as a CD of classical music as co winner of the first competition of young pianists of Tarragona (2008). His first album as a leader with his trio is Skyline, and thanks to Seed Music Records and the producer Joan Díaz has had a great reception among critics and audiences in Spain, Holland and other European countries. In March 2014 the trio received a commission from the Festival de Dixieland de Tarragona to do a concert with two of the most important Spanish saxophonists, Perico Sambeat y Llibert Fortuny.

He has performed as a soloist in the large auditorium at the Auditori de Barcelona with the ESMuC orchestra, with Lluís Vidal as conductor. He has also played as a soloist with the Cobla Sant Jordi. He has received many artistic scholarships, such as the Stichting Jazz Talent 2015, the Jacques Vonk Fonds, Anna Riera, and a scholarship from the Catalan Government.

During these years, he has performed in 3 different continents, in countries such as the USA, South Africa, Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy, Morocco and Andorra, and in festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Fest, Gracthen Festival, Grahamstown Jazz Festival, Bimhuis, Amsterdam JazzFest, Siena Jazz Festival, Orbit, Jamboree, Bogui Madrid, Bilbaina, Jazz in Mallorca.

He received lessons or masterclasses from Fred Hersch, Ambrose Akinmusire, Mark Turner, Miguel Zenon, Avishai Cohen and Maria Schneider, and has worked as a substitute teacher at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, as a guest accompanist at the ESMuC, and has been a teacher at the Grahamstown Jazz Week 2015.

Releases from Xavi Torres

Unknown Past

Xavi Torres