BIO
Evelyn Vera Gallardo, born in 1997 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, is a world music pianist/arranger/composer and educator. She started playing the piano at the age of 7 and graduated in 2021 Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Latin piano at the Conservatory of Rotterdam (Codarts).
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During her study years, she’s had the opportunity to play with various professional musicians (in the Latin scene) and has therefore been able to gain experience in mainly Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Caribbean, and Latin/Jazz music. A.o. names are Gerardo Rosales, Alex Matos, Lucas Van Merwijk, Liber Torriente, Samuel Torres, Marco Toro, Pedro Luis Pardo Cosme, Oscar Cordero Chucky, Vernon Chatlein, Michael Simon and Delbert Bernabela.
Her main subject teachers: Thomas Böttcher, Anna-Elis de Jong, Marc Bischoff, Abel Marcel and Luis Rabello have been a great guidance throughout her years at the conservatory. Apart from that, she also took percussion lessons with Nils Fisscher and Martin Verdonk, which has enabled her to develop rhythmic skills for her piano playing.
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In 2019 Evelyn recorded an album “Xplora” in Germany with an Aruban band called “Krosshart”. Later, in 2021 she released a CD “Crossing Roads” with “Trico”. In 2022 she recorded with “Cinco En Clave” the singles “Un Domingo”, “Reflecta” and “Lotophagos”. Recently, (May 2023) the new album of “Gerardo Rosales Y La

Vintage” was released, where she also recorded several songs. Soon, Evelyn is planning to record her own debut album consisting of original compositions, but in the meanwhile, she is working on writing new music and finding collaborations.
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Evelyn is a versatile pianist and ready to accept a musical challenge. With Dutch-Spanish singer Raquel Kurpershoek, she’s developing a flamenco style playing for the piano. Recently Evelyn started playing Joropo and merengue in 5/8 with a new Venezuelan quartet with among others Samuel Ruiz on bass and Oscar Cordero Chucky on trumpet. With “Trico”, a band for which she also composes music, she plays latin/jazz combined with flamenco and Arabic influences. For “Cinco En Clave” she is also writing music and playing Aruban rhythms combined with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian ones. Apart from that, she also performed with bigger groups: In 2017 she played with Latin big band “Lowland Latinas”, led by trombonist/conductor Frans Cornelissen and Cuban bass player Pedro Luis Pardo Cosme. In 2021 she played with the NSJO (Nederlands Studenten Jazz Orkest) led by trumpetist Jan Wessels with guest artists Bart van Lier and Koosje. Recently, she was playing for the “Big Band Blast” led by saxophonist and conductor Nils van Haften with guest artist Lee Towers.
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Now, Evelyn is gaining experience in playing and conducting for musicals. In 2022 she played as a keyboardist for the “Tina Turner Musical”. Currently she is musical director of the hit musical “Grease”. In 2024 she will be joining the live band of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Apart from that, she is taking private lessons with famous Dutch jazzpianist Rob van Bavel to develop her jazz skills and Brazilian top-pianist Luis Rabello to expand her classical repertoire.
CURRICULUM
2023 Awarded "finalist" of the Grachtenfestival Jazz Competition 2023
2023 Starts project Quarteto Venezolano
2023 CD Release "Gerardo Rosales Y La Vintage"
2023 "Grease" the musical" Tour as Musical Director
2023 NPO 2 on Dutch TV with Vernon Chatlein I su zumbi
2022 Single Release "Lotophagos" with Cinco En Clave
2022 Single Release "Reflecta" with Cinco En Clave
2022 Single Release "Un Domingo" with Cinco En Clave
2022 "Tina Turner The Musical" as keys II
2022 - now Taking piano lessons with famous Dutch pianist Rob van Bavel
2022 NPO 2 on Dutch TV with Cinco En Clave
2022 Start project Cinco En Clave
2021 - now Taking classical piano lessons with top-pianist Luis Rabello
2021 NSJO Tour, The Netherlands
2021 Debut album release "Crossing Roads" with Trico
2021 CD Release "Xplora" with Krosshart
2017 Start project Trico
2017 - 2021 Conservatory of Rotterdam (Codarts), Graduated Cum Laude
2015 Preparatory for Conservatory
2015 Freelance musician at EVG Music
2013 Educating
2011 First piano solo concert
2011 Playing in sunday church services
2004 Starts playing the piano
COLLABORATIONS (NAMES)
Gerardo Rosales
Alex Matos
Bart van Lier
Lee Towers
Lucas van Merwijk
Liber Torriente
Samuel Torres
Marco Toro
Oscar Cordero Chucky
Pedro Luis Pardo Cosme
Delbert Bernabela
David Bernabela
Urvin Doornkamp
Adriaan Joaquin Correa
Michael Simon
Vernon Chatlein
Nils van Haften
Jan Wessels
Frans Cornelissen
Steven Brezet
Gerald Troost
Koosje
Raquel Kurpershoek
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COLLABORATIONS (BANDS/ORCHESTRA)
Trico
Cinco En Clave
Latin Society
Wakena
Quarteto Venezolano
NSJO (Nederlands Studenten Jazz Orkest)
Big Band Blast
Lowland Latinas
Casouco
Krosshart
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DISCOGRAPHY
"Gerardo Rosales Y La Vintage", Gerardo Rosales, 2023
"Crossing Roads", Trico, 2021
"Xplora", Krosshart, 2020
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