Gonzalo Grau & the Plural Combo to Open the 2015 Academic Conference

Arts Transcending Borders at the College of the Holy Cross presents the Venezuelan multi-instrumentalist Gonzalo Grau & the Plural Combo in concert to kick off the 2015 Academic Conference on Wednesday, April 22 at 5 p.m. in the Hogan Ballroom. The concert will be preceded by a reception that will take place at 4:30 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

Equally well-known in the world of Latin-jazz with his Grammy-nominated band La Clave Secreta and classical circles for his collaborations with Osvaldo Golijov, Loyola professor of music at the College, Venezuelan multi-instrumentalist Grau and his Plural Combo bring their own twist to Afro-Cuban classics à la Buena Vista Social Club and Fania All-Stars. Add to the mix Worcester’s own Manolo Mairena, whose unparalleled vocal versatility will take us through soulful boleros to the high-octane rhythms of salsa and timba.

A Berklee College of Music graduate and frequent collaborator with Golijov, Grau has established himself as a multi-instrumentalist and his varied credits include performances with Venezuelan music projects like Maroa, Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, Camerata de Caracas and the Simón Bolivar National Youth Orchestra, jazz icon Maria Schneider and the Latin jazz giant Timbalaye. As music director, he leads two projects of his own, "Plural" (Latin jazz-Flamenco-Venezuelan fusion) and "La Clave Secreta" (salsa fusion), which was nominated for a 2008 Grammy in the Best Tropical Album category. As a recording artist, Grau has participated in more than 80 productions that bridge the classical and popular music worlds.

Arts Transcending Borders is supported by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.