New feature interview, Michael Butterman interview and multiple reviews spotlight López-Gavilán as composer, pianist and orchestral artist

The November/December 2026 issue of Fanfare Magazine devotes extensive attention to concert pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán, coinciding with the release of Emporium: The Music of Aldo López-Gavilán on Reference Recordings.

The issue includes a major feature interview with López-Gavilán, a separate conversation with conductor Michael Butterman, and several reviews of the new album, offering a wide-ranging portrait of an artist whose work moves naturally between composition, classical performance, improvisation and the orchestra.

In the feature article, “A Guided Tour Through Aldo López-Gavilán’s Emporium,” interviewer Robert Schulslaper traces the musical world behind Emporium, from López-Gavilán’s family and classical training to his relationship with jazz, improvisation and orchestral writing. Fanfare introduces him through the unusual combination of Western classical tradition, Cuban music, jazz, improvisation, compositional versatility and virtuoso pianism that has shaped his career.

The interview gives López-Gavilán considerable space to describe that musical identity in his own words. Speaking about the way his music is created, he offers one of the clearest summaries of his process:

“For me, improvisation is my playground.”

For López-Gavilán, composition and improvisation are not separate disciplines. He explains that ideas often begin spontaneously at the piano before becoming fixed works, describing composition as the moment when an improvisation decides that it wants to remain.

That same balance shapes his work as a performer. In discussing the architecture of his improvisations and concerts, López-Gavilán tells Fanfare:

“Freedom and structure are not opposites; they complement each other.”

He describes performance as a constantly changing exchange among musicians and audiences, where spontaneity can coexist with direction, balance and formal shape.

Elsewhere in the interview, López-Gavilán speaks about what he ultimately wants his music to communicate:

“More than anything, I hope listeners feel honesty.”

He goes on to explain that he does not compose in order to fit a stylistic category, but to create a genuine connection and encourage curiosity, imagination and openness in the listener.

The issue also features an extended interview with Michael Butterman, Music Director of the Boulder Philharmonic and conductor of the Reference Recordings release. Butterman recalls discovering Emporium through a broadcast and being struck immediately by a quality he describes as its “immediate listening appeal”, while emphasizing that the work continues to reveal greater structural detail with repeated study.

Butterman has now performed Emporium with López-Gavilán ten times across several U.S. orchestras. His account of the response from both musicians and audiences is especially striking. He notes that orchestral players regularly approach him during rehearsals to tell him how much they enjoy the writing, while:

“Audiences are always on their feet afterwards”

and immediately ask how they can hear the work again.

Butterman is equally emphatic about López-Gavilán’s command of the orchestra. Recalling his surprise at discovering that Aldo had orchestrated Emporium himself, he praises the score for its “finesse, imagination, and an ear for tone color”, qualities he associates with composers possessing long experience writing for symphony orchestra.

His comments about López-Gavilán as a performer are equally personal. Butterman says that “Aldo radiates joy”, while praising his energy, pianistic facility and command of complex polyrhythmic writing.

Critical acclaim for Emporium

The album itself receives substantial attention from Fanfare’s critics.

Dominic Hartley praises not only the individual works but López-Gavilán’s broader compositional identity. Writing about Emporium, the Clarinet Concerto and Hechizos, he describes López-Gavilán’s performance as having “both authority and vision” and concludes that the recording makes a compelling case for him as:

“a composer of uncommon fluency, imagination, and communicative power.”

Hartley closes simply: “An exhilarating release.”

Michael Vaillancourt similarly emphasizes López-Gavilán’s ability to connect directly with listeners, calling him:

“first and foremost a great communicator”

and noting that, within his chosen musical language, López-Gavilán “often dazzles.” He describes much of the album as bursting with energy and distinctive character.

Phillip Scott focuses particularly on López-Gavilán the pianist, calling him “a galvanizing presence at the piano” and praising the solo writing in Hechizos for its expressive nuance and formidable technical demands.

Taken together, the interviews and reviews in Fanfare offer one of the most comprehensive critical portraits to date of López-Gavilán’s work as a composer, concert pianist and orchestral soloist. They also arrive at an important moment for Emporium, whose Reference Recordings release has brought the concerto, the Clarinet Concerto and Hechizos together in their world-premiere recordings.

For López-Gavilán, the attention reinforces something that has always been central to his music: the idea that classical form, improvisation, rhythmic energy, orchestral color and direct communication with an audience do not need to occupy separate worlds. In his own words, the goal remains remarkably simple:

“More than anything, I hope listeners feel honesty.”

Explore Emporium
https://emporium.aldomusica.com

Virtual studio and discography
https://studio.aldomusica.com

“A dizzying delight” and “A magnet of musical invention.”

Aldo López-Gavilán’s latest album, Emporium: Music of Aldo López-Gavilán, is receiving enthusiastic praise from the international classical music press, with critics highlighting the originality of his compositional voice, the vitality of his orchestral writing, and the natural way his music brings together classical tradition, jazz, improvisation, and Afro-Cuban rhythm.

Released by Reference Recordings in March 2026, the album features the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra under Music Director Michael Butterman, with López-Gavilán at the piano and Ricardo Morales as soloist in the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra. The program includes world premiere recordings of the piano concerto Emporium, the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, and the solo piano suite Hechizos.

Writing for Mundo Clásico, Juan Carlos Tellechea described López-Gavilán as a “fascinating Cuban composer and pianist” and praised the distinctive character of his music. The review observes that his musical voice brings together classical virtuosity, improvisational freedom, jazz inflections, and the passionate rhythmic vitality of Afro-Cuban music, all supported by technical brilliance.

Tellechea also highlights the album’s emotional and physical impact, describing its music as a collection of dazzlingly beautiful creations that stimulate both body and soul. Of Emporium itself, the review points to the work’s balance, structure, lyricism, rhythmic energy, and unmistakably personal style. It concludes by calling the complete album “a captivating and superbly executed achievement.”

ConcertoNet offered similarly enthusiastic praise. Reviewer Christie Grimstad invited listeners to expect “something novel, something rejuvenating, something otherworldly,” calling Emporium “a dizzying delight.” The review also described López-Gavilán as “a magnet of musical invention” and praised the album as a fascinating and accomplished presentation of his musical world.

At the center of the recording is Emporium, López-Gavilán’s three-movement concerto for piano and orchestra. The work moves from the rhythmic momentum of its opening movement through the reflective atmosphere of Liberamente and into a technically demanding final Presto. Throughout the concerto, the composer is also the soloist, giving listeners a direct encounter with the imagination behind the score.

The album expands that portrait through the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, written in homage to López-Gavilán’s grandfather, the celebrated Cuban clarinetist Juan Jorge Junco, and through Hechizos, a three-part solo piano suite that explores contrasting worlds of mystery, movement, and dreamlike intensity.

The growing critical response to Emporium affirms López-Gavilán’s place not only as a formidable pianist, but as a composer with a distinctive and increasingly important orchestral voice.

Emporium: Music of Aldo López-Gavilán is available on Hybrid SACD and in standard and high-resolution digital formats through Reference Recordings.

Boulder, CO — June 29, 2026
For Graffiti Music Group Ltd.

The Boulder Philharmonic’s performance of Aldo López-Gavilán’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra will be broadcast nationally on Monday, June 29, as part of American Public Media’s Performance Today, America’s most widely heard classical music radio program.

Recorded live at Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado, the performance features Ricardo Morales, principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, as soloist, with Michael Butterman conducting the Boulder Philharmonic. The concerto will air at the end of the program’s second hour on public radio stations nationwide and is also available to stream on demand via the Performance Today website.

The work was commissioned by the Boulder Philharmonic and premiered in March 2026 as part of the orchestra’s season. It is the opening track on Emporium, López-Gavilán’s debut album on Reference Recordings (FR-745SACD), which also includes his Emporium for Piano and Orchestra and Hechizos for Piano. The album is available on SACD, Apple Music, Spotify, and all major streaming platforms.

The Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra was composed in memory of López-Gavilán’s grandfather, the legendary Cuban clarinetist Juan Jorge Junco, and marks the composer’s first major orchestral work for wind soloist.

Toronto, April 25 2026
For Graffiti Music Group Ltd.

Two phonograms by the Havana Chamber Orchestra featuring his compositions and production work earn nods across major categories ahead of the May 16 awards gala.

Two phonograms featuring Aldo López-Gavilán have received a combined seven nominations for the 2026 Cubadisco Awards (Cuba’s foremost recording industry award). The announcement was made on April 25 by the Orquesta de Cámara de La Habana (OCH), led by Maestra Daiana García.

De todos los colores y también sinfónico (DVD, Bis Music), an audiovisual recording of López-Gavilán’s symphonic music performed by the López-Gavilán García-Ameneiro family ensemble and an expanded OCH, received four nominations: Vocal and Symphonic Music, Audiovisual Concert, Sound Design (Uncontrolled Environment), and Liner Notes (written by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer).

Habana a toda cuerda (CD, Colibrí), co-produced by López-Gavilán and Rodrigo García Ameneiro, received three nominations: Chamber Music, Sound Design (Controlled Environment), and Liner Notes.

The nominations follow the 2020-2021 Cubadisco First Prize in Instrumental Music won by Brothers, López-Gavilán’s duo album with his brother, violinist Ilmar Gavilán.

The Cubadisco 2026 awards gala takes place on May 16. Habana a toda cuerda will be officially presented at Havana’s Oratorio San Felipe Neri on May 14, in a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the OCH.

Source: Agencia Cubana de Noticias (CubaSí), 25 April 2026.

Havana, Cuba — Pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán appeared as soloist in a special performance of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 on March 20 at the Oratorio San Felipe Neri in Havana, joining the Orquesta del Lyceum de La Habana and musicians from the Academia Orquestal de La Habana for an evening of extraordinary artistic significance.

Conducted by José Antonio Méndez Padrón, the concert brought together established and emerging musicians in a powerful collaboration centered on one of the most demanding and celebrated works in the piano repertoire. Renowned for its immense technical and expressive challenges, Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto provided the ideal platform for a performance marked by intensity, virtuosity, and musical depth.

The event also highlighted the importance of artistic continuity and mentorship within Cuba’s classical music community. By bringing together the Orquesta del Lyceum de La Habana with young instrumentalists from the Academia Orquestal de La Habana, the concert reflected a shared commitment to excellence, training, and the future of orchestral performance in Cuba.

Set in one of Havana’s most distinguished concert venues, the evening stood as both a major artistic occasion and a celebration of collaboration across generations. Aldo López-Gavilán’s participation reaffirmed his longstanding commitment not only to performance at the highest level, but also to projects that strengthen musical life and inspire new generations of artists.

This performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was more than a concert. It was a vivid expression of the vitality, ambition, and cultural richness of Cuba’s classical music scene.

March 7th, 2026

Ricardo Morales (clarinet), Aldo López-Gavilán (piano), Jubal Fulks (guest concertmaster), Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Butterman (conductor)

Live recording: Mackey Auditorium Concert Hall, Boulder, Colorado (January 6‑7, 2024) (World Premiere Recording) – 70’32

SACD Hybrid Reference Recordings RR-154SACD – Booklet in English

Be prepared to experience something novel, something rejuvenating, something otherworldly!

Enter the musical genius of Cuban-born Aldo López‑Gavilán whose mixture of classical and jazz persuasions will electrify the listener from the get go. His innate sense of musical fusion emanates from his parents (his father, composer/conductor and his mother, pianist/teacher) as well as his renowned grandfather, the legendary Cuban clarinetist Juan Jorge Junco. One of the strongest assets the composer brings to the table is his sense of improvisational skills. The result is a mélange of stunningly beautiful creations which stimulate the soul, both physically and emotionally.

Back in 2017, Aldo López-Gavilán wrote and premiered his first piano concerto, namely Emporium which graces and introduces this vibrant CD. Aptly named since it was the composer’s objective to “unify the world”. This idée is particularly important to the composer due to his exposure and musical training and performances outside his native Caribbean island. He’s strongly attuned to the capriciously disparate dialogues bantered about between his native Cuba and that of The United States. Invested in a myriad of musical impressions entrées with a perky Baroque-edge during the measures of the “Allegretto spiritoso”. Distant sounds of David Foster and snippets of Marvin Hamlisch bleed to the surface in the opening minutes, yet the design is distinctly pinned to M. López‑Gavilán. Luscious legato and pulsating crescendos re‑emphasize the electrifying designs of the music, well‑heeled in percussive strengths by chimes, snare drum and vibraphone. “Balance” and “structure” prevail with agreeability, akin to the sonata form.

Bracketed in the middle, the unfettered “Liberamente” ushers in an immediacy of tranquility and shamanistic guidance, faintly aligned to Grofé’s “Sunrise” from the Grand Canyon Suite. The tone pensively reveals M. López‑Gavilán’s pensive conversation set alongside the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra’s strings enclaves. The piece reaches into hymnic thoughts, a preamble to the pianist’s tremolo arguments, especially when strengthened by the vibraphone harmonic structures. Where the Cuban’s virtuosic training becomes fully unveiled is in the closing “Presto” with extremely difficult and technical artistry. What particularly broadens the piano’s effects are through the other percussive instruments, particularly the chimes. The conclusive bars of Emporium strongly reach into Rachmaninoff sophistication. A dizzying delight.

The ensuing Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra has strong reminiscences to the composer’s late grandfather, the great Juan Jorge Junco. Paying respectful homage, the opening “Adagio” has a strong, plaintive Copeland quality: somber, reflective, sensitive…searching. Ricardo Morales’ edgy clarinet enclaves remark upon Leonard Bernstein, yet the flair is independently jazzy: both spicy and fruity. The middle portion turns into a quasi tête-à-tête with tutti orchestra. While the “Ballad” forwards in agreeable benevolence, the closing “Allegro” is contrastingly entrenched with a semi‑strident whimsical lining: novel and uncanny, on line with Gershwin with spots of Bernstein, again. M. Morales has some “funtastic” remarks, fluidly moving about on his “licorice stick” with an appetite to appeal to the full‑on inventions of Aldo López‑Gavilán. A spirited musical confluence.

The “power of thought” is, perhaps, the most impressive as one listens to Aldo López‑Gavilán’s solo piano triptych œuvre, Hechizos (literally translated “spells”). This composition is truly mesmerizing. “Mariposas Nocturnas” (“Nocturnal Butterflies”) emphasizes the beauty of these winged‑insects with two‑handed magic: the left hand stoically is grounded in ostinato which sharply contrasts to the “flickering” embellishments placed upon the right hand. M. López‑Gavilán shapes the hypnotic “Hipnosis” with steady, distant oscillations. Deep down we’re subjected to sensations of beauty and ambiguous uncertainty. This segues to the rather sinister ambitions found inside “Conjuros” with its rather devilishly waltz‑like impish arguments which thinly remark upon pockets of Maurice Ravel. This composition’s spell‑binding dynamics are strongly founded and pronounced. One will be funneled into a siphon of mystic bewitchment. Penetratingly trance‑like with an intoxicating and distant appeal.

A “magnet of musical invention” strongly yields to Aldo López‑Gavilán. “Emporium” demonstrates a grand assembly of thought, distinctive in the process with a need to permit “open-mindedness and allowable space”. A fascinating and well‑executed lesson.

Buy or Listen to the album here

L-R: Ilmar Gavilán, Aldo López-Gavilán, Melissa White, Jaime Amador, and Felix Umansky in performance at Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, September 26, 2025. (courtesy of SCPA)

Mark Gresham | 26 SEP 2025

On Friday night, the Harlem Quartet (violinists Ilmar Gavilán and Melissa White, violist Jaime Amador, and cellist Felix Umansky) were joined by Cuban pianist-composer Aldo López-Gavilán for a program that blended Romantic chamber music, contemporary Cuban works, and jazz at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts’ Emerson Hall.

The evening opened with Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44. Schumann’s quintet—one of the cornerstones of the chamber repertoire—was given a reading that infused the familiar work with new vitality. In particular, the “Allegro brillante” moved with brisk energy, and felt fresh for such an oft-performed work. The “Adagio espressivo” unfolded nicely in long, lyrical lines. The Scherzo was appropriately fleet, and the Finale combined playful motifs with virtuosic flourishes.

After intermission came music that was not so familiar: four of López-Gavilán’s own compositions, Epilogo, Viernes de Ciudad, Eclypse, and Pan con Timba, highlighting the fusion of classical form, Cuban rhythms, and jazz-inflected harmonies that characterizes his work.

A classically trained pianist who moves fluidly between genres, López-Gavilán writes music that combines the structural rigor of chamber music with Afro-Cuban dance rhythms and jazz improvisation. The Harlem Quartet—formed in 2006 and known for bridging classical and jazz traditions—has made a specialty of performing and recording with López-Gavilán, whose brother, Ilmar Gavilán, is the quartet’s first violinist.

Epílogo opened the set with a dreamlike lyrical theme flowing across shifting harmonies. Originally written for piano, clarinet, and orchestra, this version for piano quintet is one of the pieces on the Harlem Quartet’s 2024 album Havana Meets Harlem. Its canon-like passages and layered rhythmic textures created a sense of reflective introspection, bridging classical sensibility with Cuban and jazz elements.

Viernes de Ciudad followed, a musical portrait of urban life that moves from dawn to late-night energy. The work evokes the rhythms and atmospheres of diverse neighborhoods, unfolding through evolving moods, contrapuntal textures, and gradual crescendos. The quartet and pianist captured the sense of journey embedded in the music, highlighting López-Gavilán’s interest in connecting daily life and cultural diversity to sound.

Eclypse (or Eclipse) offered a more intimate counterpoint. Originally composed for violin and piano, with López-Gavilán’s brother, Ilmar, in mind, the lyrical interplay between piano and strings conveyed a quiet intensity and emotional nuance, exploring themes of longing and separation.

The set concluded with Pan con Timba, a jubilant work rooted in Afro-Cuban dance rhythms. Its title—“bread with timba”—reflects the composer’s blending of the everyday with exuberant, percussive musical energy. The quartet and López-Gavilán delivered the piece with infectious rhythm and buoyant humor, leaving the audience with a palpable sense of celebration.

To close the concert, the ensemble performed its own arrangement of Billy Strayhorn’s Take the A Train. The familiar jazz standard, which was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra, drew warm applause and closed the evening on an upbeat note. ■

L-R: Melissa White, Ilmar Gavilán, Aldo López-Gavilán, Felix Umansky, and Jaime Amador take a post-concert bow at Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, September 26, 2025. (crecit: Bill Head)

Havana, Cuba — September 17 2025 – Internationally acclaimed Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán has been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for his album Havana Meets Harlem, recorded with the two-time Grammy Award–winning Harlem Quartet. The album is recognized in the category Best Instrumental Album at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards.

Released in August 2024, Havana Meets Harlem is a landmark recording that unites the brilliance of López-Gavilán’s compositions with the expressive power of Harlem Quartet. Every track on the album was composed by Aldo López-Gavilán, showcasing his distinctive voice as a composer who blends classical structures, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and the freedom of jazz improvisation.

The works featured on the album include Pan Con Timba, Epilogo, Aegean Dream, Eclipse, Talking to the Universe, and Viernes de Ciudad—pieces that highlight Aldo’s versatility as a composer and the Quartet’s virtuosity as interpreters.

“This nomination is not only a personal honor—it is a recognition of collaboration, family, and cultural exchange,” said Aldo López-Gavilán. “Working with Harlem Quartet, and especially with my brother Ilmar on violin, has been an artistic journey that celebrates both Cuban heritage and the universality of music.”

Harlem Quartet, known for expanding the boundaries of classical repertoire, brings its trademark energy and diversity to the project. Together with López-Gavilán, the ensemble creates a fresh soundscape that bridges traditions, redefining what chamber music can be in the 21st century.

The Latin Grammy nomination highlights the international impact of Havana Meets Harlem and reinforces López-Gavilán’s reputation as one of Cuba’s most original and compelling musical voices.

The winners of the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards will be announced later this year.

https://pitchfork.com/news/latin-grammy-nominations-2025-see-the-full-list-here

On Saturday, June 28, at 7 pm, Havana’s Sala Covarrubias at the National Theatre will host “Encuentro de Generaciones” — a vibrant jazz concert led by acclaimed pianist and composer Aldo López‑Gavilán, alongside the Jazz Band from the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and Cuban jazz luminaries.

A Fusion of Talent

López‑Gavilán shared with ACN that this ensemble—formed by students under Maestro Jorge Sergio Ramírez—will serve as “the starting point for sharing the passion for the genre and the styles of each guest artist.” Regardless of age, their virtuosity will weave the evening’s narrative.

A Rich, Genre‑Blending Repertoire

The program is devoted exclusively to López‑Gavilán’s original compositions, arranged by the composer himself. The concert promises a powerful fusion of jazz, classical music, and Cuban rhythms, delivered with exceptional skill, heartfelt expression, and a distinct sonic identity.

Featuring Cuban Jazz Icons

Joining the spotlight are several distinguished soloists:

• Alejandro “Coqui” Calzadilla – clarinet

• Alejandro Delgado – trumpet and improvisation

• Ruly Herrera – drums

• Ruy López‑Nussa – percussion maestro

• Orlando “Maraca” Valle – flute

• César López – saxophone

Their presence enriches the evening’s soundscape, showcasing the dynamic synergy of emerging talents and seasoned performers.

Celebrating Dialogue & Continuity

This concert isn’t just a performance—it’s a celebration of musical dialogue. Attendees will witness how youthful energy and mature artistry unite through improvisation, craftsmanship, and jazz’s core values. López‑Gavilán emphasizes that the event honours continuity and the convergence of generations, inviting jazz fans to experience its virtuosic essence live.

Havana, June 3, 2025

Renowned Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán continues to build his international career as a versatile creator and interdisciplinary collaborator, this time contributing to the world of contemporary dance. His latest original composition, written expressly for the world premiere of Favorite Son, will be featured at the prestigious Festival Napa Valley 2025 during its highly anticipated Dance Gala.

Under the artistic direction of Adrian Blake Mitchell, the event brings together some of today’s most captivating dance artists, including Tiler Peck, Roman Mejia, Sasha De Sola, Joe Walsh, and Fabrice Calmels, in an evening celebrating both masterworks and bold new creations.

The premiere of Favorite Son, with original music by López-Gavilán, was conceived as an exclusive piece for the talented Cuban triplets Marcos, César, and Ángel Ramírez, who will bring Mitchell’s choreography to life in a performance rich in emotional and artistic depth. Aldo’s score adds a lyrical and rhythmically charged dimension to the piece, which explores identity, heritage, and brotherhood through movement.

The gala program also includes classics such as Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, a lyrical tribute to the music of Chopin, and Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, an iconic Joffrey Ballet work pulsing with energy. Acclaimed dancer Constance Stamatiou of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform an excerpt from Cry, in honor of the legendary Judith Jamison.

This new project reaffirms Aldo López-Gavilán’s commitment to art as a universal language and highlights his growing presence on international stages where music, dance, and emotion converge with a contemporary vision.