Piano Duo: Rolando Luna & Constant Despres
Concert
- Wednesday, July 1, 7:00 p.m.
- Parc de la Maison Mumm, Reims
Rolando Luna
After spending ten years with the Buena Vista Social Club, Rolando Luna is now focusing on his solo career, featuring impressive original compositions as well as elegant and inventive covers.
He performs regularly on the most prestigious international stages (Jazz in Marciac, Bordeaux Opera, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Piano aux Jacobins, Hamburg Philharmonic Hall…) and enjoys ever-growing success with audiences captivated by his artistry, his virtuosity, and the richness of his improvisations.
Constant Després
Born in 2006, Constant Després is rising quickly through the ranks. Since his appearance on the show *Prodiges* at the age of nine, he has been invited to perform at numerous festivals (Piano Pic, Piano en Valois, La Vézère, Jazz in Marciac, L’Esprit du piano, Les Pianissimes…).
At the age of fourteen, he won the Toulouse Conservatory Piano Prize; at fifteen, he entered the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, where he earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in Marie-Josèphe Jude’s class, before continuing his studies toward a master’s degree. He is also a laureate of the 2025–26 season of the Académie Musicale Philippe Jaroussky.
Rolando & Constant
A meeting of two personalities, two cultures, and two generations. An explosive duo that reinterprets works ranging from Bach to Chick Corea and blends genres with virtuosity and creativity.
The duo's debut album will be released in 2026 on the L’Esprit du piano label.
Biography of Rolando Luna
Rolando Luna is something of an exception among Cuba’s great pianists. In fact, he didn’t take an interest in the piano until quite late in life—at the age of 15! After spending three years at the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, Omara Portuondo chose him as her sideman.
He then continued his training in the field, moving from salsa groups (Isaac Delgado, etc.) to classical music, then to traditional music (serving as Omara’s pianist for 20 years and with the Buena Vista Social Club for 10 years), and of course jazz, where he developed a highly personal and particularly innovative style. In his first appearance at the Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition in 2007, he won both the First Prize of Honor and the Audience Award!
He is also in high demand in Havana’s recording studios—not only as a pianist, of course, but also for his talents as an arranger and producer. Rolando is one of the pianists who has made the greatest contribution to the history of Cuban music, having appeared on more than 200 albums over the past 20 years.
It is by drawing on all these experiences that he has enriched his musical world. His inventiveness, virtuosity, and musicality make him a pianist in a class of his own, offering true gems such as his 2012 album *Alucinaciones* or his latest double solo piano album, *Rolando’s Faces* (released in spring 2022), which will delight fans of this delicate art form.
There, he showcases his immense talent through his richly textured compositions and surprising covers, moving seamlessly between French Romanticism, the Russian piano school, and his natural Cuban flair.
On stage, Rolando captivates audiences with his charisma, his poetry, and his consistently surprising improvisations. The emotion he conveys will quickly make purists forget his highly “organic” technique—which remains remarkably effective and always serves the music and the poetry.
He is regularly invited by internationally renowned artists—in Cuba, of course, but also in Brazil, Russia, and France, such as Ibrahim Maalouf.
He has earned praise from greats such as Omara Portuondo—“Rolando is a particularly talented and impressive pianist”—and Chucho Valdés—“Rolando is a model of creativity and imagination, with great elegance and freshness in his playing. “The future holds great success for him.” And Ibrahim Maalouf: “Rolando is an impressive musician, both for his virtuosity and his ability to embrace all kinds of music. He is one of those artists to watch closely, who have wonderful surprises in store for us in the future.”
Recently performing at Jazz in Marciac, Rolando Luna was a huge hit there with his bandmates Rodney Barretto on drums and Gaston Joya on double bass, playing to a packed tent—just like in the festival’s heyday—and a particularly enthusiastic audience. The industry professionals in attendance that evening also praised this wonderful moment: “a concert that will leave a lasting impression” (Alex Dutilh – France Musique). His latest trio performance at the Auditorium de l’Opera de Bordeaux was highly acclaimed and may be released as a live album in the spring of 2022.
He performs as a solo pianist, in duos, trios, and quartets, and is also one of the founding members of the El Comité collective.
Source: www.rolandolunapiano.com
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