Say Oui to Parisian Jazz Night With Organist Zelek and Guitarist Bermudez

Northrop Organist Greg Zelek, a world-class performer, begins his second year as resident artist, educator, advisor, and curator of Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Opus 892 pipe organ. After Zelek’s exciting first season at Northrop, he looks forward to “all that we have in store for year two!” Aiming to expand common perception of what an organ concert is with Parisian Jazz Night, Zelek says, “From well-known standards to classical arrangements of recognizable tunes, I think that our audience will have as much fun in their seats as we will from the stage.”

Zelek believes this based on a past performance of French classical and jazz compositions with Alvaro Bermudez. In 2024, they performed together on stage at Overture Hall in Madison, WI for an organ gala. While Bermudez and Zelek played some of the pieces included in Northrop’s program, they were segmented and set between dinner courses. Zelek states, “Now we get to pair musical selections together, enjoy works as performance pieces, and truly take advantage of the nuances and sonic qualities of the guitar and organ together.”

Hailing from White Plains, NY, Alvaro Bermudez is an award-winning guitarist, composer, and singer whose “harmonically adventurous” pieces showcase his “remarkable ability to play classical guitar” and compose jazz music (Seraphic Fire Magazine). His works have been performed and commissioned by universities and ensembles across the Americas. In 2020, he received a Knight Foundation New Work Award for Danzas del Silencio, a collaboration with the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire that blends Colombian rhythms with Bach-inspired structure. A guitarist in high demand all over his homebase of South Florida, Bermudez directs the guitar program at Ronald Reagan Senior High School’s Classical Arts Academy and performs widely with his Latin trio, Trio Los Clasicos.

While a seemingly unconventional pairing, guitar and pipe organ can be utilized in jazz as complementary rather than disparate instruments. The tones and timbres of each instrument support the other to create a full, resonant sound. In addition to the collaboration between instruments, Bermudez and Zelek themselves have a unique working relationship. At 9 years old, Zelek began taking guitar lessons from Bermudez, who says, “I’m looking forward to making music with my long-time collaborator, Greg Zelek. We began as teacher-student [collaborators] … Now we are on level footing, and we’re both eager to play at Northrop.” Bermudez’s “ear for music, as well as his ability to improvise and perform it, had a huge impact on me as a musician,” Zelek states. “Alvaro's incredible technique and artistry will be on full display as he and I bring popular French jazz to life in a truly unique setting.”

Jazz music originated in the U.S. during the late 19th century. African Americans in the cultural convergence of New Orleans, LA developed the musical style through their unique rhythms, soulful expression, and heritage-focused spirit. During World War I, jazz was introduced to Paris when U.S. army regiments brought African American soldiers to serve in France. The new genre, inherently a symbol of opposition to colonialism, was initially resisted by some while embraced by others. Parisian Jazz Night will feature works by prominent French musicians who embraced jazz, such as Django Reinhardt, Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Claude Debussy, and more. The program highlights a “lovely, diverse repertoire of French music—magnifique!" according to Bermudez.

Learn more about French jazz, the artists, and the Northrop Organ before or after Parisian Jazz Night—the Performance Preview With Greg Zelek & Alvaro Bermudez will be on-demand beginning Mon, Sep 29.  Zelek and Bermudez delve into their personal history as mentor and mentee, starting when Zelek was only eight years old. With inspiration from composers like Charles Aznavour and musicians like Édith Piaf, they discuss the development of the program's repertoire and how they combine the lively sound of the Northrop Organ and Bermudez’s string guitar. English and Spanish versions will be available.