A CONVERSATION WITH CRISTINA PATO, AFA S. DWORKIN AND ARTURO O’FARRILL: Afro Latin Perspectives in Jazz and Classical Music

Cristina Pato is the 2019 / 2020 King Juan Carlos Chair in Spanish Culture and Civilization, NYU King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center.

This event includes live music performed by Cristina Pato, Arturo O’Farrill and Cameren Anai Williams (CamAnaiStrings)

In this conversation, Cristina Pato brings together the leaders of two organizations that have impacted her way of understanding diversity and visibility in jazz and classical music. Afa S. Dworkin is the President and Artistic Director of Sphinx Organization, founded in 1997 with the goal of addressing the underrepresentation of people of color in classical music. Arturo O’Farrill is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education and preservation of Afro Latin music. While learning about their programs, Cristina will engage Dworkin and O’Farrill in a conversation about diversity, inclusivity, and in/visibility in jazz and classical music.

Afa S. Dworkin is a musical thought leader and cross-sector strategist driving national programming that promotes diversity in classical music. She currently serves as President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading organization transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. In this role, she oversees all fundraising, strategic and artistic initiatives through which Sphinx expands access to classical music education and supports a national roster of distinguished musicians of color. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Michigan and Roosevelt University.

Arturo O’Farrill is a pianist, composer, and educator. He was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists. In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. His composition “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo also received the Best Instrumental Composition Grammy in 2018.