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Gabriel Pérez , born in 1964 in Córdoba, is a musician who creates new elements of Argentinean music by combining them with more traditional styles of his homeland to develop a unique sound.

Raised in Argentine, Gabriel received a broad musical education with rural roots. He was under contract with the Córdoba Symphonic Wind Orchestra, was a member of the saxophone quartet Scaramouche, recorded with nationally well-known musicians and planned early on to focus on composition. Subsequently, he moved to Germany and took private classes with Dietmar Mensinger and studied jazz saxophone under Frank Gratkowski, as well as composition / arrangement under Frank Reinshagen at the prestigious Cologne University of Music.

Gabriel Perez
Gabriel Perez plays saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe
It was at this time that Gabriel began releasing his own CD productions Música Argentina, in addition to performing his own compositions at concerts. Typically, his music and arrangements are performed and recorded in different formations, often surprising listeners with a discretely whispering duo or sophisticated string quartet after a Big Band piece.

His first record as leader, La Chipaca - Música Argentina Vol. 1, was issued in 1999 and performed with Oliver Leicht, Ralf Hesse, Nils Wogram, Jürgen Friedrich, Quique Sinesi, Volker Heinze and Marcio Doctor.
In 2001 he released Alfonsina - Música Argentina Vol. 2, recorded with Jürgen Friedrich, Volker Heinze, Afra Mussawisade, Quique Sinesi, Jürgen Neudert and the Arte String Quartet. Lots of live and in-studio recordings of traditional Argentinean music demonstrate his serious work and reflect his continuous attention to detail in his compositions and his folklorist expressiveness. His Música Argentina Vol. 3, released in 2005, is named La Banda Grande -  Música Argentina para Big Band, Gabriel Pérez & Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra feat. David Liebman.

In 2006 Gabriel and three Argentinean musicians, Martín Bruhn, Leandro Guffanti and Carlos Buschini, living in Madrid, Paris and Milan, formed the Cuarteto Rosamonte. Their first album was released in 2007 by Radio Switzerland under the title Rosamonte Con Palo.

Gabriel has played and worked with the Córdoba Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Nelio Costa feat. Paquito D`Rivera, Los Músicos del Centro featuring  Fito Páez, Pedro Aznar, Litto Nebbia, Daniel Homer, César Franov, Roberto Fats Fernández. David Liebman, Mike Stern, René Pretschner, Rodolfo Mederos, Córdoba Reunión, Los Tambores del Sur, Javier Girotto, Trio Minino Garay/ Gustavo Beytelmann/ Ricardo Moyano, Leandro Guffanti, Martín Bruhn, Quique Sinesi, and many others.


In 2008 he joined Marko Lackner, Stephan Schulze, Stefan Pfeifer-Galilea, Michael Villmow and Thomas Haberkamp as a permanent member of the management team  of the State Youth  Jazz Orchestra of North Rhine Westphalia.
On 31 October of the same year Gabriel received the prestigious WDR Jazz Award  2008 for composition.

 

The music of Gabriel Pérez has been performed with the following ensembles:

  • WDR Big Band / Cologne / Germany
  • Cologne Contemporary  Jazz Orchestra CCJO / Germany
  • Youth  Jazz Orchestra NRW/ Germany
  • Zurich Jazz Orchestra ZJO / Switzerland
  • Parco della Musica Jazz Orchestra PMJO / Rome / Italy
  • Kyoto University Jazz Orchestra / Japa
  • Amsterdam Conservatory Big Band / Holland
  • Sunday Night Orchestra SNO / Nuremberg / Germany
  • Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna (Italy)
  • Giuseppe Francomano Big Band / Paris / France
  • Tokyo F.O. Lab Band / Japan
  • Big Band der Kunst und Musikschule der Stadt Brühl / Germany
  • Big Band der Musikschule Wipperfürth - Big Stuff / German
  • Garay - Beytelmann - Moyano / Paris / France
  • Juan Carlos Pinzani / Córdoba / Argentina
 
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