Martin Bejerano

A technically adept and lyrical Miami jazz pianist, Martin Bejerano brings together post-bop and fusion styles with his deep grasp of Latin and Cuban musical traditions. A member of drummer Roy Haynes' group since the early 2000s, Bejerano has released his own inventive trio albums, including 2007's Evolution/Revolution, 2013's Potential Energy, and 2016's Trio Miami. He also teaches at Miami's Frost School of Music and has worked with artists like Russell Malone, Ignacio Berroa, Christian McBride, Roxana Amed, and others. With 2022's vibrant #CubanAmerican, he brought all of his varied influences together. Born in Miami, Florida, Bejerano started taking piano lessons at a young age and made his professional debut at 15 playing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue'' concerto with the Mexican-American Bi-National Symphony. After his time at the New World School of the Arts, he attended Florida State University on a full scholarship, where he studied classical piano with Leonidas Lipovetsky and jazz piano, composition, and arranging with Bill Peterson. From there, he earned his Master's degree from the University of Miami. While there, he took third place in the 1999 Great American Jazz Piano Competition. Soon after, he moved to New York City, where he eventually joined legendary drummer Roy Haynes' quartet, making his recorded debut on the group's Grammy-nominated 2004 album Fountain of Youth. Along with his continued work with Haynes, Bejerano has been a member of guitarist Russell Malone's quartet and performed with an array of luminaries including Christian McBride, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Bryan Lynch, Arturo Sandoval, Mingus Big Band, and many more. As a leader, Bejerano debuted in 2007 with Evolution/Revolution, a trio album featuring his group with bassist Edward Perez and drummer Ludwig Afonso. The same group also returned in 2013 with Potential Energy. He has also worked closely with vocalists, collaborating on albums with Stevie Holland and Roxana Amed. Along with performing, Bejerano is an educator, heading the jazz piano department at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he teaches jazz piano, improvisation and composition. He has also garnered accolades as a composer, winning Chamber Music America's prestigious New Jazz Works composition and ensemble grant in 2010 and 2017. In 2016, he released Trio Miami, which found him playing with fellow University of Miami alumni bassist John Allen and drummer Michael Piolet. He has also recorded internationally with Ignacio Berroa and Armando Gola's Gola Elektrik. In 2022, he released the fusion-influenced #CubanAmerican, which featured a guest spot from singer Amed and showcased his group with bassist Perez, drummer Afonso, and percussionist Samuel Torres.
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