André Carvalho

Portuguese jazz bassist and composer André Carvalho is an active NYC freelancer whose works AllAboutJAzz described as “both in bounds and out of this world.” Nate Chinen of The New York Times dubbed Carvalho a bassist “you should get to know.” He’s played with Jazz stars Chris Cheek, Will Vinson, and Tommy Crane. And André’s performance credits range from the Colors Jazz Festival (Paris), the Cairo Jazz Festival, and Jazz Festival Ljubliana, to venues such as Blue Note (New York), Konzerthaus Berlin, and Casa da Música (Porto).

Among the awards he has received are the “Carlos Paredes 2012” (a major annual prize that celebrates Portuguese music and culture and the “Best Group” at Bucharest International Jazz Competition 2011,). In addition, he has received multiple grants from the GDA Foundation to record (“Memória de Amiba”) and to tour (2017 and 2019).

Mesmerized by Jazz, improvised music, and composition as a teenager, Andre’s background was anything but traditional.

“I was destined to be a computer nerd. By 5, I was playing video games created by my grandfather and by 7 I was programming on my own. Breaking the rules and not settling was always a part of it for me and, after graduating with a Computer Science degree at 21, I faced my destiny and learned for the first time what a bass clef is.”

The scope of his work extends far beyond Jazz. With multi-Grammy award winner Gilberto Gil, André toured Europe performing his new opera “Prelúdio.” The collaboration included Nova Ópera de Lisboa and the drumming ensemble Cortejo Afro, premiering portions of the new work in venues such as the Barbican Center (London) and Finlandia Talo (Helsinki). He has performed with classical conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Heinrich Schiff, and Franz Welser-Mös and collaborated with Fado singers Carlos do Carmo and Cristina Branco.

Praised by the media as “a sonic study in contrasts” (NYJazzRecords), André’s Grammy considered album The Garden of Earthly Delights was recently released on Outside in Music. Carvalho toured with the project in the USA and the EU at venues and festivals such as the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Lisbon), The Owl Parlor (New York) and Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporânea (Sevilla). The 11 movement suite, performed by a 6 person combo, is named after its inspiration, the cryptic painting by medieval Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Carvalho holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. André relocated to the US in 2014 as a Fulbright grantee. While finishing his first bachelor in Computer Science (Faculdade de Ciências Lisbon), he fell in love with music, leading him to study at the Hot Club de Portugal and Academia de Amadores de Música (with Fernando Flores).