Tomas Cruz

Biography
Articles

omás is known for his "... gorgeous, mellifluous, pure tone (New York Classical Review)," as well as his stylistic flexibility. A regular in the new music scene, he has performed new operas and concert works by Steve Reich, Judd Greenstein, Missy Mazzoli, Anthony Braxton, Pulitzer Prize-winning Du Yun, Jason Cady, Petr Kotik, and Matt Marks, among others. Recently, Tomás played the role of Harry Balter in the tour of Toshi Reagon's opera Parable of the Sower. Other credits include the world tour of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s opera, Einstein On The Beach, SNL, Damien Rice, Helga Davis’ The Love Show, a cappella group Duwende, and experimental ensemble Ekméles. He has recorded for Nickelodeon (Duwende), Matthew Schickele, Chris Cerrone, jazz composers Matthew Sheens, Yelena Eckemoff, and Eric Johnsen, and has performed/recorded for live art and dance works by Martin Creed, Andrea Galvani, Miguel Gutierrez, Amber Sloan and Jane Benson.

Ongoing projects include a cappella group Duwende, indie-pop band Secret Sibling, Naboréa by jazz vocalist/composer Kavitah Sha, Early Music New York's Christmas concert series, vocal jazz group West Side 5, and singing in the Marble Collegiate Choir.

Recently, Duwende made our first tour to Japan (Tokyo and Osaka). Parable of the Sower toured in New York, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and more. Tomás also participated in a workshop of Heather Christian's new theater work SUM, and a reading of David Lang's forthcoming opera True Pearl.

Yelena Eckemoff: Better Than Gold and Silver

Read "Better Than Gold and Silver" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
November 11, 2018

Russian-born pianist/composer Yelena Eckemoff began setting verses from the Bible's Book of Psalms shortly after her conversion to Christianity, even before her emigration to the United States. But she waited until she had considerable experience working with jazz musicians before attempting these jazz arrangements. The first disc in this double disc set presents settings with two vocalists, tenor Tomás Cruz and mezzo-soprano Kim Mayo, accompanied by a remarkable band: trumpeter Ralph Alessi, guitarist Ben Monder, violinist Christian Howes, bassist Drew ...

Album Review

Yelena Eckemoff: Better Than Gold and Silver

Read "Better Than Gold and Silver" reviewed by Tyran Grillo

by Tyran Grillo
September 29, 2018

Some albums attempt to explain sacred text. Others adorn, elevate, or dramatize it. Better Than Gold and Silver does something rarer. It listens. It waits. It receives. Yelena Eckemoff does not set the Psalms of David to music so much as she attends to them, as though all that remains is to hear what still trembles in their wake. The result is not doctrine rendered audible, but scripture softened by silence, memory, and breath. Belief here is not asserted. It ...