Nestor Torres Returns

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Arts Garage

Nestor Torres Returns

Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Nestor Torres moved to New York City, where he pursued Classical flute studies at Mannes School of Music, Jazz at Berklee College of Music and Classical and Jazz at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. During that time, he also learned to improvise in the ‘Charanga’ Cuban Dance Music genre, which helped shape and develop Torres’ unique melodic and danceable style.

This rhythmic and mellifluous sound evolution remains apart in a class by itself with 4 Latin Grammy nominations, one Grammy nomination and one Latin Grammy Award. In addition to 18 solo recordings, Torres’ unique collaborations with diverse artists such as Gloria Estefan, Kenny Loggins, Dave Mathews, Paquito d’Rivera, Herbie Hancock, Arturo Sandoval and Tito Puente; as well as performances with the Cleveland, Singapore, and New World Symphony Orchestras among many others, are testament to his remarkable versatility and artistry. 2017 brought two diverse album releases for Torres; the Latin Grammy Nominated – “Jazz Flute Traditions”, a spectacular tribute to his jazz flute mentors and influences, and “del Caribe, soy!”, a collection of classical compositions by Latin American composers, including the great Puerto Rican icon Rafael Hernandez, alongside contemporary works written for Torres by Tania Leon and Miguel del Aguila. This relentless exploration of musical possibilities without boundaries led to a recent concerto commission by Mariano Morales for a world premiere with Torres and The Lynn Philharmonic. In May 2021 Torres recorded his much-awaited second classical album. The album was produced under the direction of the highly recognized and multi-Grammy winning Russian/Polish (Uruguayan born) classical composer and conductor Jose Serebrier. In January 2022 Torres released his most recent smooth jazz single, “Thank You Willie” with an album to follow in early fall of 2022.

In addition to his achievements in the studio and on the stage, Torres is also the recipient of many awards, including two honorary doctorate degrees from Barry University and Carlos Albizu University, for his commitment to youth, education and cultural exchanges.