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Ania Paz

Ania Paz, pianist and composer, is known for her modern and driving sound, impregnated by a new fusion of Afro-Peruvian and Caribbean styles, within the Jazz language.

About Me

Ania Paz, Peruvian and Spanish pianist and composer, is known for her modern and driving sound, impregnated by an original new fusion of Afro-Latin styles within the Jazz language. She was born in Lima, Peru, where she started studying music at the age of 4, and wrote her first composition at the age of 6. Her passion for music took her to different countries and musical cultures, studying classical music as well as jazz, first in Germany with Günther Herzfeld, and then in the United States, obtaining two Master Degrees. She settled in the Dominican Republic and later in Peru. She successfully performed at several international festivals such as the TCI San Jose Jazz Festival in California, United States; the Rencontre autour du Piano Festival in Guadeloupe, France; the Festival Internacional JazzUV in Mexico; the International Festival Buenos Aires Jazz in Argentina; the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Valparaíso in Chile; the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival in Cabarete, Dominican Republic; the International Jazz Festival San Vicente Jazz in Mendoza, Argentina; and the International Festival Jazz en Lima, Peru. She also presented her music at theatre halls, jazz clubs and television shows throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America, such as Danny’s Skylight Room (New York), Caja Postal (Madrid), Thelonius (Buenos Aires), Zinco Jazz Club (Mexico City), Jazzatlan (Cholula), Cinemacafe (Santo Domingo) and Jazz Zone (Lima). As a composer she won, among others, the José Reyes symphonic composition prize of the Ministry of Culture in the Dominican Republic; the Festival Claro Song Competition in Lima, Peru; and the Jazz Composition Prize at Casa de Teatro in Santo Domingo. She is the leader and founder of the Ania Paz Trio in Lima, a group with a unified vision as soloists and rhythm section that perseveres on the creation of a new sound in Contemporary Latin Jazz. Its recent activities include the launching of the Dos Mundos CD (Two worlds), recorded in Peru and the Dominican Republic, as well as the launching of the Fortaleza CD with its recent Peru Chile Jazz project. The purpose of this series of initiatives is to strengthen the cultural bonds between several countries of Latin America and the World through the universality of Jazz. As a recipient of the Ibermúsicas Award, she presented her recent bi-national project on a tour throughout several cities in Mexico. The Trio participated also at the UNESCO International Jazz Day celebration; at the International Chamber Music Festival; at the International Jazz Festival of Jazz de Huánuco; at the International Vibraphone and Marimba Festival Vibraciones; at the I International Zapateo-Dance Festival Lima Zap Festival; and at the Centro Cultural Peruano Norteamericano concert in Arequipa, among others. Its concerts and projects have been presented in several media, such as Movistar Musica TV Channel and Sonidos del Mundo on TV Peru. Ania Paz has connected her work to several universal values, such as bringing cultures and countries together through music, the integration of artistic disciplines, the promotion of contemporary composers current works, and social responsibility. She received an acknowledgment as a featured organizer by UNESCO’s International Jazz Day for her work enabling dialogue between cultures through Jazz. She produced and directed for the United Nations, the European Union and the Ministry of Culture multidisciplinary performances at the Teatro Nacional in Santo Domingo and at the Gran Teatro del Cibao in Santiago, integrating artists from different musical genres. She incorporated artistic expressions such as dance, poetry and literature, theatre and visual effects. During several years she participated as an artist and produced international multicultural concerts in the Dominican Republic, such as Women in Jazz and Colors of Jazz. She is the founder and leader of the Ania Paz Jazz Ensamble in Santo Domingo; as well as the producer of the Ania Paz Jazz Series, a multidisciplinary and unconventional initiative that offers jazz without boarders; embraces all multicultural legacy; stimulates the development of creative new trends; and inspires the community through the artist´s values. She successfully launched 7 CDs and 1 DVD of original music, played at radio stations of the United States, Belgium, England, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, France, Panama, Chile, Puerto Rico and Peru, among others. Her recent Fortaleza CD was featured in Mexico, Peru and Uruguay by several specialized media. In addition, it was ranked among the best Peruvian albums 2019 in the listings of media Estereofonía and Rock’ Achorao. As an educator, she created and directed the first Contemporary Latin Jazz course at the Iglobal University of Funglode in Santo Domingo; she restructured the curriculum at the Folklore Department of the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo; she founded Jazzymas and created its curriculum; and she published several jazz and modern styles methods. She is a professor of Harmony, Composition, Arrangement, Ensemble and Improvisation at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru in Lima and at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, where she received the “Talento de Oro” award (“Golden Talent”). She has taught and presented Master Classes at Universities and Music Institutions of Germany, the United States, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. She teaches a course called Jazz, Freedom and Creativity as part of the Master in Musicology program at PUCP, University that she represented through a Presentation and Master Class at the First Jazz Education Conference in Latin America. This event was organized by the JazzUv Center of Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. As a researcher, she presented a conference about the development of African rhythms in different areas of America at the ALARA international convention -Afro-Latin and American Research Association-, receiving recognition for extraordinary support from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She currently publishes articles about Jazz in Peru and The artist’s look at Jazz in the Jazz Research, Critic and Promotion Magazine Bop Spots (Mexico) and the EncontrArte Musical Magazine (Argentina). She also collaborates with Vibración Azul Jazz Radio Show at the Colima University in Mexico.

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