La Bella Cubana

Instituto Cervantes New York and Centro Cultural Cubano de Nueva York join forces to present an end-of-season concert featuring the most emblematic Cuban composers of all time, with unique arrangements for flute and bass by maestro Carlos del Pino and flutist Kat Modiano, Dúo Fusión, who will headline the recital entitled La Bella Cubana.

The award winning, flutist, composer, and educator Yael Acher “KAT” Modiano is a native of Tel Aviv and lives in New York City. She holds a BA degree in Classical Flute Performing Arts from the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, where she also studied Jazz and Electronic Music Composition. She lived in Copenhagen and relocated to NYC in 2005 as Fulbright scholar, studying Composition at NYU and Hunter College. She received MA in Liberal Studies with focus on Music for Social Change from Empire State College (NY). As a flutist and composer Modiano works with acoustic and electro-acoustic music within music genres: jazz, classical, contemporary, improvisation, live and composed soundtracks for Silent films and choreography and Tango. Her performances and commissions span over Europe, Israel, Japan, USA, and Canada. She leads urban funky jazz ensemble “KAT” Modiano, and collaborates as soloist with ensembles, choirs, choreographers, visual artists, DJs, and MC poets. Modiano’s albums and releases feature her flute and compositions in electro-acoustic contemporary, urban jazz, and film scores, as well her interpretations of classical pieces. From the Press: “Kat’s solo flute pieces…track the poet’s thoughts as perfect correlative, in beautiful sine curves of sound that enrapture and illuminate our minds.” Phil’s Review, Atlanta Audio Club.

Born in Camagüey, Cuba, bassist Carlos del Pino studied at Havana University’s Escuela Superior de Arte, and later under Czech maestro Karol Kopriva. In 1985 he received Germany’s “Johann Sebastian Bach Medallion,” and in 1990 was invited by Prince Albert to perform in Monaco. A former member of Cuba’s Orquesta de Ópera y Ballet, he has toured extensively throughout Europe and Latin America. His October, 2006 New York City debut with the Cuban Cultural Center of New York was attended by luminaries from the world of jazz, followed soon after by a Christmas performance at Carnegie Hall in honor of composer Tania León. Always breaking new ground, he stunned the audience the following year at Manhattan’s legendary St. Peter’s Church, where he paid homage to Maya Plisetskaya, including a stirring rendition of Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Dying Swan. In 2011 his CD collaboration with Chuchito Valdés, Viva el Sonido Cubano, earned him a Latin Grammy nomination. Since then, his eclectic repertoire and astounding prowess with the bass has made him one of the most sought-after musicians in the tri-state area, with recitals ranging from José White to Paganini at key entertainment centers, such as Symphony Space, Instituto Cervantes, Scandinavia House, the Jerome Greene Performance Space, and many others. Mr. del Pino’s virtuosity has inspired critic Playthell Benjamin to remark: “His physical dexterity and lyricism is of such grandeur that none who hear him could ever think of the bass again as simply an instrument designed to keep the bottom beat.”