The young pianist Amaro Freitas is a dazzling rising star on the Brazilian jazz scene. With his new, visionary, and multi-Grammy-nominated album “Y/Y” (Psychic Hotline, 2024), featuring guest musicians such as Shabaka Hutchings, Jeff Parker, and Hamid Drake, he makes time stand still and the piano reveal itself in new tonal colors. In February, his complex, percussion-driven piano compositions and brilliant playing will unfold beautifully in the sacred space of Brorson’s Church when he performs a solo concert and presents “Y/Y” during Vinterjazz 2025.

The young pianist Amaro Freitas is a dazzling rising star on the Brazilian jazz scene. He hails from the northeastern coastal city and cultural melting pot of Recife, where he has challenged the traditional structures of jazz and created a “decolonized jazz sound” that makes time stand still and the piano reveal itself in new tonal colors. Amaro Freitas’ heavily percussion-oriented approach to jazz draws equally from the Afro-Brazilian maracatu, which originated on the sugar plantations during slavery, as well as from the high-intensity carnival rhythms of frevo and baião, and the sounds of innovative jazz luminaries like Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. The result is a combination of masterful piano playing and innovative percussion techniques within the piano itself; it is magical, mysterious, and deeply fascinating.

Since his debut album “Sangue Negro” in 2016, Amaro Freitas’ deeply original sounds have resonated far beyond Brazil’s borders, and with his latest album “Y/Y” (Psychic Hotline, 2024), he takes his techniques to new heights. Strongly inspired by the Amazon rainforest, the album is marked by a sense of responsibility for the Earth’s resources as well as a connection to the indigenous Sateré Mawé community. “Y/Y” is created with contributions from artists like Shabaka Hutchings, Jeff Parker, Hamid Drake, and Brandee Younger, and the outstanding album has been nominated for three Grammys. The album has excited critics worldwide, and The Guardian states, “’Y/Y’ finds Freitas at his most wide-ranging, embodying so natural ambiance as well as dramatic action on the piano.” We couldn’t agree more, and we look forward to hearing Amaro Freitas’ complex piano compositions and brilliant playing unfold beautifully in Brorson’s Church when he performs a solo concert and presents “Y/Y” during Vinterjazz 2025.

Said about Amaro Freitas
“’YʼY’ finds Freitas at his most wide-ranging, embodying so natural ambiance as well as dramatic action on the piano.” – The Guardian

“A young pianist from Recife, Brazil, Freitas makes the keys dance and chatter as if each note were ricocheting off all the others, taking on energy and momentum from the swarm around it.” – The New York Times

“When he sat at the piano time stopped. He played and played, each note growing, birthing new possibilities, stories within stories. The range of execution and emotive dynamism left me full of light.” – Christian Scott

The concert is part of Vinterjazz 2025 – a nationwide festival taking place from February 1st to 23rd. More info via www.jazz.dk.