Lolivone de la Rosa

Lolivone de la Rosa is a Puerto Rican guitarist, composer, bandleader, educator, and arts administrator based in New York City.

Since relocating to New York in 2021, she has become an active presence in the city's jazz community, performing at venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center (Appel Room), Birdland, Smalls, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, Ornithology, and NJPAC. She has appeared at festivals including the Montclair Jazz Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival, Cola Jazz Festival, and has shared the stage with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Pedrito Martínez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Peter Bernstein, Eric McPherson, and Nona Hendryx.

De la Rosa’s debut album, Jewels, presents original compositions shaped by personal reflection and an exploration of the connections between bebop, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and contemporary improvisation. Described by Ted Panken as an “uncommonly accomplished debut,” Jewels features Ingrid Jensen, Ned Goold, Luis Perdomo, John Benítez, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, with special guest appearances by Rogério Boccato, David Suleiman, and Joel Mateo. 

A dedicated educator, de la Rosa serves on the faculty of the Jazz Academy at Jazz at Lincoln Center and has taught at institutions including Berklee College of Music and New York University. She has presented masterclasses and workshops throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and Mexico, focusing on improvisation, rhythm section playing, and artistic development.

As an arts administrator, de la Rosa serves as Education Program Coordinator at the New York Philharmonic, supporting music education initiatives under the artistic leadership of Gustavo Dudamel. Previously, she worked with Next Jazz Legacy, a national program created by New Music USA and Berklee College of Music. Across her administrative work, she is committed to supporting artists, expanding access to music education, and strengthening connections between communities through the arts. 

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, where she attended on a full-tuition scholarship, she also holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

In the midst of the pandemic, de la Rosa founded the Global Arts & Music Venue - a virtual platform that builds bridges between artists and their audience through the technology available to us today.  She produced the 1st edition of the Global Arts & Music Venue Jazz Fest. The 3-day virtual event showcased the talents of renowned global artists while offering accessible educational opportunities for young musicians. Its impressive lineup of performing artists and clinicians included Terri Lyne Carrington, John Patitucci, Kenny Werner, Larry Goldings, Melissa Aldana, Peter Bernstein, Sullivan Fortner, Lage Lund, Alexa Tarantino, Gilad Hekselman, and Tom Oren.  She has also produced a series of masterclasses through GAMV featuring George Coleman, Larry Goldings and Joe Farnsworth.

Awards

South Arts - Jazz Road Tour Grantee (2025)

Gear

Sadowsky Guitars, Henriksen Amps

Tags