Leo Blanco, Pianist & Composer
Photo by Pamela Herch
Award-winning pianist Leo Blanco is a singular voice in contemporary music. Born in the Venezuelan Andes and refined by the rigorous El Sistema, Blanco’s artistry is a vibrant tapestry where Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms and European classical traditions meet the high-wire improvisation of modern jazz. As the first Latin American to receive the prestigious Boston Jazz Society Award, he has been hailed for performances that are as "stunningly virtuosic" as they are emotionally profound.
Blanco’s career is defined by global resonance. He has shared the stage with jazz icons including Pat Metheny, Terence Blanchard, and Chucho Valdés, and has graced the world’s most venerable stages, from Newport and Montreux to North Sea Jazz.
A scholar as much as a performer, Blanco serves as faculty in the Africana Studies Department at Berklee College of Music. His work explores the African Diaspora, revealing how the global sugar trade shaped the music of the Americas, connecting the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia in a vast cultural dialogue.