Pianist and composer Marialy Pacheco belongs to the most talented Cuban musicians of her generation. The biggest appreciation so far of Marialy Pacheco’s qualities has been the winning of the Montreux Jazzfestival Solo Piano Competition 2012. She is the first woman to win this prize in 15 years history of the competition. Marialy Pacheco is the only female pianist among the currently popular Cuban star pianists such as Chucho Valdés, Roberto Fonseca, Omar Sosa and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Marialy Pacheco, born in Havana in 1983, grew up in a musical family and began her piano studies at an early age at the Conservatorio Alejandro GarcĂa Caturla. By age 15, she attended the Escuela Nacional de Artes and later studied composition under Tulio Peramo at the Instituto Superior de Artes in Havana....
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Pianist and composer Marialy Pacheco belongs to the most talented Cuban musicians of her generation. The biggest appreciation so far of Marialy Pacheco’s qualities has been the winning of the Montreux Jazzfestival Solo Piano Competition 2012. She is the first woman to win this prize in 15 years history of the competition. Marialy Pacheco is the only female pianist among the currently popular Cuban star pianists such as Chucho Valdés, Roberto Fonseca, Omar Sosa and Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Marialy Pacheco, born in Havana in 1983, grew up in a musical family and began her piano studies at an early age at the Conservatorio Alejandro GarcĂa Caturla. By age 15, she attended the Escuela Nacional de Artes and later studied composition under Tulio Peramo at the Instituto Superior de Artes in Havana.
She gained recognition by winning the Cuban competition Jo-Jazz, with Grammy winner Chucho Valdés leading the jury. Her debut album, "Bendiciones," was released shortly after, and she later moved to Germany, where she toured extensively across Europe—both solo and with her trio—building an international reputation.
Marialy made history in 2013 as the only jazz artist performing at Bösendorfer's 185th-anniversary celebration at the Musikverein in Vienna, sharing the stage with classical stars Valentina Lisitsa and Maria Mazo. Shortly afterward, she became the first female jazz pianist to be named an official "Bösendorfer Artist." Her album "Introducing" featured a trio, with Juan Camilo Villa Robles on bass and Miguel Altamar de la Torre on drums, along with special guests Joo Kraus and Rhani Krija. Later that year, she showcased her versatility by performing Bach’s Piano Concerto in G minor with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane.
She has performed at prestigious festivals worldwide, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Havana Jazz Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, and Beethoven Festival Bonn. Marialy also presented her project "DanzĂłn Cubano" with the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, streamed live on ARTE TV, and later performed it at the Beethovenfest in Bonn. She collaborated with the "Cuban European Orchestra" at the Rheingau Musik Festival, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock.
Marialy has performed as a soloist with the Filmorchester Babelsberg, released her album "DUETS," and made her debut at the iconic Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. She presented "DanzĂłn Cubano" with the WDR Radio Orchestra and played concerts in Cuba and Haiti. Her first Italy tour with Joo Kraus included performances at various venues across Europe.
Her live album, "DanzĂłn Cubano - Live in Viersen," was recorded with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonie Konstanz. She made her U.S. debut with concerts in Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, the Birdland Jazz Club in New York, and the Detroit Jazz Festival.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marialy continued to give exclusive performances, including a duo with Max Mutzke at the Leverkusen Jazztag. She also premiered her piano concerto "DanzĂłn Cubano" with the DĂĽsseldorfer Symphoniker.
Marialy performed across Europe with Max Mutzke, Omar Sosa, and her trio in various projects. She released two major albums: "MANOS," a live duo album with Omar Sosa, and "RELOAD," a trio album celebrating Cuban and Latin American music, featuring Avishai Cohen, Karl Perazzo, and more.
In 2023, Marialy debuted at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg with Max Mutzke, followed by performances in Lithuania, Bucharest, and a duo concert with Leszek Mozdzer at the Duisburg Philharmonic Theater.
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