Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Mexican-American pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill stands as a towering figure in contemporary music, renowned for his genre-defying virtuosity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to social justice through music. O'Farrill is a celebrated composer whose work has been performed by Dr. Cornel West, pianist Lara Downes, the San Francisco Ballet, and more. Hailed by DownBeat as "one of our greatest living pianists," O’Farrill bridges the gap between traditional Latin rhythms, modern jazz, and contemporary composition, continually pushing the boundaries of the art form while maintaining a profound connection to his roots. Beyond performing worldwide, O'Farrill is a passionate educator and advocate for social justice, using his platform to champion diversity and unity. As founder and director of both the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) and Belongó (formerly known as the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance), O'Farrill plays a pivotal role in nurturing cultural dialogue through the transformative power of music.

The non-profit Belongó (formerly the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance) was established by Arturo O'Farrill in 2007 to promote Afro-Latin jazz through a comprehensive array of performance and education programs. Belongó's mission is to perform, educate about, and preserve the music of all of the Americas, emanating from African and indigenous roots, through the entry point of jazz. Belongó embraces its mission with a commitment to social justice, equity, inclusion, and the equality of all cultures worldwide. Belongó produces the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's annual performance season in New York and maintains a weekly engagement for the Orchestra at the famed jazz club Birdland. Belongó also maintains a world-class collection of Latin jazz musical scores and recordings. Belongó's education programs include the Belongó Music Academy; an in-school residency program serving public schools citywide with instrumental and ensemble instruction, the pre-professional youth orchestra; the Fat Cats, which prepares the next generation of musicians, and the Global Rhythms in Our Tribe (G.R.I.O.T.); a community music program that engages underserved youth in anti-violence activities. Belongó maintains administrative offices in East Harlem at El Barrio ArtSpace – PS109.

Heather Martin Bixler is a classical violinist and educator whose playing has been described as “emotionally riveting” and “astonishingly musical and sweet.” She is a graduate of Indiana University, The Juilliard School, and the University of Memphis where she received a doctorate degree in violin performance. As a recording artist, Bixler was a featured soloist on the GRAMMY nominated recording, Forty Acres and a Burro. Bixler held first violin positions in the Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona and Orquesta Sinfonica de Galícia, and concertmaster positions with South Dakota Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de la Minería, and Garden State Philharmonic. She worked as substitute violinist with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet. Pursuing her interest in studying the effect that music has on the brain, Bixler completed bachelor of arts degree in neuroscience at Columbia University in 2021 where she was awarded the Dean Peter J. Awn Scholarship, the Joey O'Loughlin Academic Scholarship, and upon graduation, the Jennifer A. Pack Prize for excellence in the study of neuroscience and behavior as the best student overall in the School of General Studies. After graduation she worked as a research assistant in a neuroscience lab at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, recently completing a two-year, ground-breaking study on neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, she lives in New York, performing and teaching violin.

Saxophonist, composer, and educator David Bixler has recently embarked on an artistic reemergence with the release of new recordings: In the Face of Chaos (2019) and BEATitude (2024) with Bixler, Boccato, Cowherd, and Sturm; Blended Lineage (2020) with the Bixtet; and Inside the Grief (2020) with trio incognito. THE LANGSTON HUGHES PROJECT vol. 1 (2024), which PARIS-MOVE describes as "a touch of genius" is a new recording featuring music inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes. 

Bixler is the host of LINER NOTES with David Bixler, a podcast centered on conversations with jazz musicians. He also serves as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. As both a Selmer and Vandoren Artist he is active as a clinician and performer throughout the world. Bixler and his family reside in New York City.

Led by Arturo O’Farrill for nearly two decades, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) has shared a unique combination of big-band jazz and Latin music through the talent and virtuosity of its 18 solo musicians. As a smaller version of the orchestra, the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble is a prodigious octet, also led by O’Farrill as musical director. The Ensemble’s repertoire includes material performed by the orchestra, as well as pieces composed for a smaller format. 

The GRAMMY® Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra has enamored international audiences with its creative performances of music by Latin jazz legends, such as Tito Puente, Frank “Machito” Grillo, and Chico O’Farrill, as well as new pieces from some of the most accomplished composers and arrangers in Latin music. 

With programs that showcase its versatility, the orchestra has pushed the boundaries of the genre with daring interpretations, performing and commissioning innovative compositions and big band arrangements by some of the most respected writers across genres and throughout the world. Over the years, the orchestra has brought its incomparable sound to stages such as Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Boston Symphony Hall, the San Diego Symphony, Newport Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival (Kent, CT), Festival Internacional Cervantino (Guanajuato, Mexico), El Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City, Mexico), Megaron Concert Hall (Athens, Greece), North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam, Netherlands), Ljubljana Festival (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Taichung Jazz Festival (Taichung, Taiwan).