His fingers danced effortlessly across the keys of his piano, as if floating, while his right foot tapped, keeping the beat and rhythm. He was in his own zone, transfixed, improvising, and creating a new original composition just for us. This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment; you could feel the energy in the room.
This was an event not to be missed at The Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival on Friday, January 31, 2025, at the Arts Court Theatre at 6:00 p.m. The trio, which includes Hilario Durán on piano, Roberto Occhipinti on bass, and Amhed Mitchel on drums, provided us with an unforgettable performance.
“It was an incredible show; the compositions were phenomenal. I felt the energy in my chakra,” said Noga Aitzook, 57, one of the show’s patrons. She often attends shows at the Winter and Summer Jazz Festivals in Ottawa and Montreal.
Durán has been described as a genius, a virtuoso piano player, composer, arranger, and bandleader.
“I am composing instantly,” Durán said. “This is something you must be trained for; it takes time. The other musicians will pick up on what you are doing, and then they will improvise. They have different forces instantly at the moment, on the spot.”
When asked what he would have been if not a musician, there was only one answer:
“I was going to be a musician,” Durán said. “Nothing, nothing else. That was it.”
It was his destiny, laid before him like a trail to be followed, one step leading to another. He just needed to work hard to achieve it.
“It was just something that came out by itself,” Durán said. “There was a time when I was in the Conservatory, and I had still not decided I was going to be a professional musician…but it came back.”
He grew up in Havana, Cuba, surrounded by a musical family and listened to classical music that both his father and grandfather enjoyed.
“I was obsessed with music… I loved American Jazz.”
Having been exposed to music at an early age, he was eight years old when he started to play by ear.
It is his passion and a spiritual transcendence, and he works with like-minded people.
“Absolutely. I am also doing what I want… sacrifice and hard work… to be better every day. I work with people in sessions in this profession that they want to be perfect.”
His career began with Cuba’s Los Papa Cun Ensemble. Later, he was the successor to Chucho Valdés in Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.
The classically trained pianist produces music influenced by Cuban pianists, composers, and directors, reflecting the Golden Age of Cuban music.
A long-time fixture of the jazz music scene, he is a resident of Toronto and was named Artist of the Year 2013 by the Toronto Musicians Association. He also received the Best Vision Award in 2014. The Ontario Arts Foundation awarded him the Louis Applebaum Composers Award. His love of music and passion transcend to younger generations as he teaches piano and ensembles at Humber College in Toronto.
Chucho Valdés called him “one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century.”
Durán has toured worldwide, performing with high-caliber artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Michel Legrand with the Arturo Sandoval band as musical director, pianist, and arranger for nine years.
He remains a modest man, as reflected by his answer to the question: Is there any musician, past or present, that he would love to collaborate with?
“I also must ask if they want to come work with me… I am always open to any musician that does not have the same style.”
He has dedicated his lifelong career to his brand of music, and at age 71, there is no sign of slowing down.
He even dreams of jazz at night. “I am thinking of some music. It runs in my head at night… a melody. It’s hard to get to sleep.”