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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).

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.

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.

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.

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

COLLABORATIONS (BANDS/ORCHESTRA)

Trico

Cinco En Clave

Latin Society

Wakena

Quarteto Venezolano

NSJO (Nederlands Studenten Jazz Orkest)

Big Band Blast

Lowland Latinas

Casouco

Krosshart

DISCOGRAPHY

"Gerardo Rosales Y La Vintage", Gerardo Rosales, 2023
"Crossing Roads", Trico, 2021

"Xplora", Krosshart, 2020

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Gerardo Rosales Y La Vintage Cover.jpeg
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