2027 Oaxaca Camp Faculty
Alejandro Falcón
Piano, band director
Alejandro Falcón stands among the most outstanding Cuban pianists and composers of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the leading promises of contemporary Cuban music and a worthy heir to the legacy of masters such as Bebo and Chucho Valdés, Emiliano Salvador, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and many other iconic figures of Cuban piano tradition.
His music seamlessly weaves together elements of Cuban and Latin American styles—most notably danzón, son, and Afro-Cuban rhythms—fused with jazz to create a sound that is unmistakably his own. Renowned for his exceptional interpretive versatility, Falcón moves with ease across Cuban popular music, jazz, and concert music, demonstrating both technical mastery and a powerful artistic voice.
Ruy López-Nussa
Drums
Ruy Francisco López-Nussa is a renowned Cuban drummer, percussionist, educator, and cultural figure whose career spans decades of deep engagement with Afro-Cuban rhythm and jazz. Widely respected in Cuba’s music community, he has become known as one of the island’s master drummers and a teacher of generations of percussionists.
López-Nussa is not only celebrated for his powerful performances and command of Cuban rhythmic traditions—rumba, tumbadora, and other folkloric forms—but also for his role as a mentor and cultural advocate. He has led his own project La Academia, through which he explores innovative blends of jazz with Yoruba and Cuban rhythmic heritage while passing on essential rhythmic knowledge to young musicians.
As a member of the esteemed López-Nussa musical family, he has contributed significantly to Cuba’s vibrant music scene and helped shape the artistic paths of his sons—pianist Harold López-Nussa and drummer Ruy Adrián López-Nussa—who continue the island’s rhythmic legacy on stages around the world.
From jazzcuba.com
Roberto García
Trumpet, band director
Roberto García is a world-class Cuban trumpeter and the musical director of The Academy. He has performed with iconic Cuban artists including Chucho Valdés, Emiliano Salvador, Omara Portuondo, Alexis Bosch, Pablo Milanés, Silvio Rodríguez, and Ernán López-Nussa.
A former member of the legendary group Afrocuba, García has toured internationally, including multiple performances in London, and has appeared as a soloist with the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra in Ecuador, where he also led workshops on Cuban music and improvisation. He currently serves as a professor at the Higher Institute of Arts (ISA) in Havana.
Jose Arnulfo Guerra
bass, vocals
José Arnulfo Guerra is a Cuban bassist best known for his work with Ruy López‑Nussa y La Academia, a leading jazz‑afro‑Cuban ensemble that blends Cuban rhythms with jazz and has been a significant presence in the island’s music scene for over a decade. He performs the bass within the group’s instrumental fusion repertoire and has appeared with them in major concerts celebrating the band’s milestones.