About Richard
“Peña is a talented and driven artist with a unique sound. In particular, he is an excellent guitarist with a truly one-of-a-kind style which transcends genre boundaries and definitions.”
— Jazz Corner Magazine
Titled “Youth Jazz Ambassador” by the Humacao Friends of Jazz Association, Richard Peña has performed internationally as a bandleader and with Grammy-winning artists ranging from Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez to Victor Manuelle. The 26-year-old guitarist and composer has managed to establish his musical mark in the Latin American jazz community, publishing 4 award-winning record productions acclaimed by magazines such as Jazz Corner and All About Jazz.
At the age of 15 during his studies at the Escuela Libre de Música de San Juan, Richard joined Guess Who Jazz Quartet as a bass player, where he began to develop as a musician and later recorded his first record production “Ready For Departure” (2014), which won the “Best New Production” award at the Fox Music USA Latin Music Awards 2015.
That same year, Richard undertook to create his first group as a soloist (this time as a guitarist) and under the tutelage of Prof. David Rivera, they went to represent Puerto Rico at the Berklee Highschool Jazz Festival 2015, winning the award for best group. At his graduation, Richard was awarded the prizes of “Best Classical Guitarist”, “Best Popular Musician” and “Best Composer”.
“He's not like those guitarists who are only technical for the sake of being technical. He speaks to the soul.”
— All About Jazz Magazine
During his study time at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, Richard learned under the guidance of Prof. Fernando Mattina and took master classes by artists such as Miguel Zenán, David Sánchez, Vic Juris, Rodney Jones, Barry Greene, and others.
In his early college years, Richard released his first album “Hey, Don Rey!” (2018), for which their song “Passageways” won a nomination for “Best Funk/Fusion/Jam Song” at the 18th Independent Music Awards (IMA). It was also hailed by Jazz Corner Magazine as "a perfect sublimation of jazz intimacy and Latin sophistication."
His second production was a collaboration with Borinqueneers Jazz Trio (2019), where as the guitarist and co-producer he published “Aguinaldo Jíbaro” (2019), a compilation of popular Puerto Rican songs in the style of a jazz guitar trio. This album was recognized among the Best 20 Albums of 2019 by the National Foundation for Popular Culture.
His third production "Synergy" (2020) explores the sounds of post-bop, fusion, and modern jazz with a touch of Puerto Rican culture. It won the nomination for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album” by the 18th Independent Music Awards (IMA) and was hailed as “A work of art infused with intellectual melodic phrasing and dynamic arrangements full of verve and vitality that are bound to move listeners, giving them an honest and exciting sonic experience.” by All About Jazz magazine.
Their fourth and most recent production “Pandemik” (2020) prints a personal musical image of the quartet's pandemic experience. In collaboration with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts, the album was acclaimed by the national press as “An album that expresses the artistic and humanitarian feeling about the new reality in which we live… through empathy, hope, and vigor.”
In addition to his artistic career, Richard is dedicated to continuing the expansion of the jazz genre to the Latin American community through the creation of musical educational content on his Youtube channel and Blog, providing free material in the form of videos and exemplary scores. He currently shares musical, educational, and interactive content daily with his community of over 130k followers across platforms.
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