top of page

 " . . . exuberant , virtuosic performance. . .

"THE NEW YORK TIMES

 " . . . ferocious performance, emotionally wrenching

playing. . . "

LOS ANGELES TIMES

 " . . . enough can' t be said, sensational musician. . .

"CHICAGO TRIBUNE

 " . . . Gustavo Casenave led the virtuosic ensemble, … show stopper. . .

"THE WASHINGTON POST

BIOGRAPHY

Gustavo Casenave is a Uruguayan/American pianist and composer living in the United States since 1994. He was recently declared "Illustrious Citizen of the City of Montevideo” (Uruguay) in 2021. He is a Two-Time Latin GRAMMY® AWARD WINNER (2020 & 2019) for “Best Tango Album” and for “Best Instrumental Album”  featuring all original compositions. He has been nominated six times for the Latin Grammy including three nominations on the “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” category.

 

A Steinway Artist since 2014, Casenave is a “Majestic Excellence Award 2022 Winner” at the Excellence Piano Awards International Competition in Europe. He is also a Two-Time Gold Medal Award Winner at the Global Music Awards, a first recipient of the "Horacio Ferrer" Award (October 2021) given by Uruguayan Vice President Beatriz Argimon, and an ACE Awardee (2015). He is a One-Time winner and Two-Time Finalist at the “American Prize in Composition” music contest (2019 &2018), multiple times awarded with the New Works Grant from the Queens Council on the Arts - Art Fund (NYC), New Music USA Awardee, Con Edison Composers Residency Awardee (NYC) and “Belgian Artistic Promotion Award” at Europe Jazz Contest 1999 among several other recognitions.

 

Active in the worlds of Jazz, Classical and Tango, he has performed and toured worldwide, collaborated and recorded with artists as diverse as: Yo-Yo Ma, Bette Midler, Eddie Gomez, John Patitucci, Christian Mc Bride, Robert Duvall, Charlelie Couture, Paquito D' Rivera and the 12 cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic among many others. He has performed at venues across North, Central and South America, Asia and Europe, including The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Blue Note (NYC), Taiwan National Theater, Harris Theater (Chicago), Jackie Gleason Theatre (Miami), Chung Mu Art Hall (Korea), Porgy & Bess Jazz Club (Vienna/Austria), Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and Walton Arts Center among many others.

 

With more than 30 albums under his name, he also directed and performed on almost every major Tango show in the US on the last two decades, including the Broadway hit Forever Tango, Tango Fire, Tango Lovers, Tango Buenos Aires and Eternal Tango Orchestra among others. He is a former Jazz Department Director at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in East Harlem NY (2009 - 2012), in addition to giving Tango Master Classes and guest artist lectures at The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Florida and New York University among others. He is a permanent faculty member at the Stowe Tango Music Festival in Vermont and published his first music theory book in 2014: “The Harmonic Structure Levels”.

 PERFORMED, COLLABORATED AND RECORDED WITH:

Yo-Yo Ma, John Patitucci, Eddie Gomez ,Bette Midler, Deepak Chopra, Robert Duvall, Paquito D’Rivera, Neil Sedaca, Mark Egan, CharlElie Couture, Jane Ira Bloom, Manolo Badrena, John Benitez, Federico Britos, Miguel Zenon, Avishai Cohen, Charlie Persip, Pedro Giraudo, Nestor Torres, Ray Vega and Hector del Curto among many others.

 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2022 Majestic Excellence Award - Excellence Piano Awards International Competition

2021 Declared: Illustrious Citizen of the City of Montevideo

2021 First time Recipient of the "Horacio Ferrer Award"

2021 QCA Art Fund Awardee – New Works Grant

2020 Latin GRAMMY AWARD WINNER 

2019 Latin GRAMMY AWARD WINNER 

2019 Latin GRAMMY Nominee 

2019 QCA Art Fund Awardee – New Works Grant

2018 American Prize in Composition - Finalist

2018 Rotary Club Uruguay - Distinction Medal Honoree 

2017 Latin GRAMMY Nominee “Best Instrumental Album”

2016 Latin GRAMMY Nominee “Best Contemporary Classical Composition”

2014 Latin GRAMMY Nominee “Best Contemporary Classical Composition”

2012 Latin Grammy Nominee “Best Contemporary Classical Composition”

2017 QCA Art Fund Awardee – New Works Grant

2015 ACE Award Recipient “Best Show of the Year” (Tango Lovers Show / Musical Director)

2014 Became a Steinway Artist

2014 Published his first music theory book: “The Harmonic Structure Levels”

2013 New Music USA Award

2013 Con Edison Composers Residency Award

2012 City of Montevideo Recognition: “The Greatest Uruguayan Musicians”

2007 “Tango Casenave Show” “of national and cultural interest” by the Uruguayan Government.

2006 New York film and video Festival | Composer for feature film "La cascara” (The Rind)

2001 Semifinalist in the "Independent Music Awards" together with Manolo Badrena, John Benitez

1999 International Award winner: "Belgian Artistic Promotion" Europe Jazz Contest 1999 (BELGIUM)

1997 "Professional Achievement Scholarship" Berklee College of Music (USA)

1997 "Professional Music Achievement Award" Berklee College of Music (USA)

1996 Selected among the 10 best composers coming out from Berklee in 30 years (1966-1996) (USA)

1994 Full two year Fellowship from the O.A.S. (Organization of American States) 

 EDUCATION

2010 Columbia University (New York City): Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute directed by Tania Leon and Derek Bermel.

1994 -1997 Jazz Private studies with Gary Burton.

1996 -1997 Jazz Private studies with Kenny Werner, Bob Brookmyer and George Garzone.

1994 -1997 Bachelor’s Degree, Berklee College of Music - Graduated Magna Cum Laude, Professional Music Major.

1992 -1993 Jazz studies with Alberto Magnone (Montevideo, Uruguay).

1989 -1994 Escuela Universitaria de Musica (Uruguayan Music University) - Composition Major

1987 -1990 Composition Studies with Hector Tosar, (Aaron Copland’s disciple)

1979 -1985 Escuela de Musica del Instituto Crandon. Classical Piano and Harmony 7th year Diploma.

1975 -1989 St. Catherine’s School (Montevideo, Uruguay) Primary and Secondary Bilingual Education.

EDUCATOR AND TEACHER

- The Juilliard School (guest lecturer from 2008 until present),

- Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts (Jazz Department        Director   / composition/ piano teacher)

- Stowe Tango Music Festival permanent Faculty member

- Yale University

- Harvard University

- Eastman University

- Oberlin Conservatory

- Columbia University

- University of Florida,

- Dance Manhattan,

- Lincoln Center Institute,

New York University

 University of Uruguay

  St. - Catherine’s School

Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico

- Wien Konservatorium

- Waldorfschule (Austria)

- Kärntner Landeskonservatorium

- Musikschule St.Veit (Austria) Freising Schule (Germany).

 

 PERFORMANCES AT VENUES OF DISTINGUISHED REPUTATION

 

 

 The Blue Note (NYC)

Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, USA)

Carnegie Hall (USA),

Teatro Solis (URUGUAY)

Taiwan National Theater (TAIWAN)

The A Train – Jazz Club (Berlin/GERMANY),

Porgy & Bess Jazz Club (Vienna/AUSTRIA)

Chung Mu Art Hall (KOREA)

Sony Studio (JAPAN)

Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas (PUERTO RICO)

Europe Jazz Contest (BELGIUM)

Kodak Theatre (Los Angeles- USA),

Casino Lisboa Theatre (PORTUGAL)

Harris Theatre (CHICAGO)

The Jazz Standard (New York)

Lincoln Center (New York USA)

Marin Center (USA)

Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University (USA)

Jazz Tour Festival (URUGUAY)

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts (USA)

Hypo Jazz Festival (AUSTRIA),

Bosendorfer New York (USA)

Jazz Festival Seeon (GERMANY)

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (USA)

JVC Jazz Festival (New York)

Metropolitan Museum (New York USA)

Graz Jazz Festival (AUSTRIA),

Symphony Space (New York ,USA)

JazzKeller (Frankfurt -GERMANY),

Vilar Performing arts Center (USA)

Sala Verdi (URUGUAY),

Cami Hall (New York City)

Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC - USA)

Benaroya Hall (Seattle WA USA),

Cooper Union - Great Hall (NYC - USA),

The Jazz Cable Channel (NewYork - USA),

Keep Walking Jazz Tour Festival (URUGUAY),

Town Hall (New York, USA)

Manhattan Neighborhood Network (NewYorkTV Channel),

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (USA)

ORF (National TV/ AUSTRIA),

Jackie Gleason Theatre (Miami, USA)

One World Theater (USA)

BPC Hall (Boston USA),

International Jazz Festival at Kempten, (GERMANY) ,

NY City Center (NYC - USA)

International Contest for Contemporary Chamber Music at Düsseldorf (GERMANY)

Sala Zitarrosa (URUGUAY),

Manship Theater (USA)

Walton Arts Center (USA)

Livermore Valley Performing arts Center (USA)

North Carolina Performing arts Center (USA

bottom of page