Composer and pianist
Jon Urrutia
Official website
PRAISE
“I first became aware of Jon when he was a member of famed Cuban drummer Francisco Mela’ s group. At that time he impressed me with his ability to excel at some of the most challenging Latin Jazz I have heard anywhere. He is an amazing soloist. I recently worked with Jon during The Berklee World Percussion Festival, and Jon was able to instantly do anything I asked of him whether it was straight-ahead American Jazz, Afro-Cuban or Latin Jazz.”
John Ramsay, Chair, Percussion Department, Berklee College of Music, Boston 2000
“Jon Urrutia has attended my harmony & piano lessons (…). I consider him among the most brilliant pupils whom it was my pleasure to teach.”
Bernard Maury, Paris 1998
“Having taught lessons to Jon Urrutia I can testify over his great talent. According to my experience as a professor at the “New England Conservatory” Jon is without any doubt one of the best students I’ve had, his level of discipline and seriousness is remarkable.”
Danilo Pérez, Boston 1999
“The music sings perfectly and takes the listener through an intense journey through the different forms of Jazz, from the more blues-rooted and rhythmic to the sonorous and warm Latin-Jazz.”
Toño González Carrera, El Correo, 2004
“The basque pianist Jon Urrutia Monnot has an extensive artistic resume which singles him out as one of the most promising spanish musicians
Distrito Jazz, Revista variaciones, música Clásica y Jazz, Marzo 2010.
CURRENT MUSICAL PROJECTS
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
«Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition» 2003 & «Tete Montoliu» Spain 2005
Solo & Duo
I started playing classical piano, studying at the Conservatory of Bilbao with Agustin Vergara, Mercedes Albaina, Paloma Aristegui and Ignacio Amman, and I played actively in local rock and pop bands as a teenager. Then I went on to study...
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
Post-bop americano, flamenco and latin, ECM and grooves of Rock, Funk and Soul.
Trío
I’ve been playing in a trio setting since my professional debut in Paris in 1996, where I used to play weekly at the club “Studio des Islettes”, with Jo Quitzke on drums and Sebastien Gastine on Double-Bass...
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
Projects Jon Urrutia 2025
Afro-American Jazz and Latin Jazz (Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Flamenco) are major influences in my musical writing.
Blue & Latin 6-tet
The dynamics, the groove, and a varied yet cohesive repertoire are some of the defining qualities of this sextet. The aim is to communicate, connect, and enjoy playing music that can transport and delight both the seasoned listener and the newcomer alike.EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & MASTERCLASS
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & MASTERCLASS
I have been teaching for more than 15 years; I have taught piano, ensembles and accompaniment in multiple private schools such as:
- Artebi (Bilbao)
- The Music Classroom (Barcelona)
- Publicly owned conservatories (Andres Isasi/Getxo, CP Escudero/San Sebastián, Superior de Pamplona, CRI Michel Slobo/Paris).
- Professor of Piano-Jazz and improvisation at the Charles Koechlin Conservatory, in the south of Paris.
I am currently developing my educational work at the Superior Conservatory of Malaga.
