This Monday, March 15^th, was inaugurated the Chucho Valdés Virtual Academy, a channel to teach courses on piano and improvisation, where pleasant talks are given by Valdés in order to share his knowledge of Cuban music and Afro-Cuban jazz, all of this through educational videos recorded by this master of the piano.

The first materials that this new academy will offer are recorded talks given by this prestigious pianist on the stage of Adrienne Arsht’s Center for Performing Arts of Miami (California), where he will share his understanding and expertise on the piano, besides giving his insights on the history of modern Cuban piano interpretation and the art of musical improvisation.

To receive these teachings, it is first necessary to subscribe online. The first course will comprise 14 chapters, from 5 to 8 minutes each.

The idea of creating this project surged, according to Chucho himself, after requests made through the years by students and amateur musicians encouraging him to teach lessons and give talks, but because of all the tours and recording sessions, there was never time.

He said about it: “I believe that the circumstances we live in and also this specific moment of my career, make it a great moment to share my musical experience”.

This highly awarded artist also said: “… it will be a pleasure to be able to transmit no only what I learned from masters like my dear Zenaida Romeu or the musicians with whom I have had the possibility of working on stage and in record sessions, but also the lessons that I have learned in all these years of playing and listening”.

Translated by Armando Hernández Vizoso