Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble

A 2025 Madison Jazz Festival Event

Six-time GRAMMY-winner and “one of our greatest living pianists” (Downbeat), Arturo O’Farrill brings his electrifying Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble to Madison for a night of jazz brilliance at the Memorial Union Terrace (800 Langdon Street) on Sunday, June 16, 2025 at 7:00pm.

Known for fusing the rich traditions of Afro Cuban jazz with bold, contemporary vision, O’Farrill’s high-octane performances have captivated audiences around the world—from Lincoln Center to international jazz festivals. Don’t miss this powerful headlining performance at the 2025 Madison Jazz Festival, where virtuosity, innovation, and infectious rhythm collide. With a legacy rooted in musical activism and boundary-pushing artistry, O’Farrill delivers an unforgettable experience that swings, soars, and speaks to the soul.

 

Pianist Arturo O'Farrill

Arturo O'Farrill

ARTURO O’FARRILL, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.

In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. In December 2010 Arturo traveled with the original Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra to Cuba, returning his father’s musicians to his homeland.  He continues to travel to Cuba regularly as an informal Cultural Ambassador, working with Cuban musicians, dancers, and students, bringing local musicians from Cuba to the US and American musicians to Cuba.

Arturo has performed with orchestras and bands including his own Afro Latin Jazz... Read More

with additional funds from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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