Carnegie Hall

Born in Santiago and raised in Concepción, Claudia Acuña established herself on the Chilean jazz scene in her early 20s. Arriving in New York City in 1995, she quickly gained recognition as a leading voice in jazz, a genre that was rapidly being transformed by a wave of brilliant Latin American musicians. Acuña is celebrated for her vision of blending South American folk music with jazz and other traditions. She is known for her collaborations with jazz masters Harry Whitaker, Arturo O’Farrill, Guillermo Klein, Branford Marsalis, George Benson, Kenny Barron, Louie Vega, and Tom Harrell, as well as the Orchestra of the Teatro di San Carlo (Italy) and others.

Her five albums as a bandleader established Acuña as a creative force, starting with her debut Wind from the South on Verve Records, which made her the first Latin American vocalist signed to a major label. Other albums include Rhythm of Life (Verve), Luna (MAXJAZZ), In These Shoes with O’Farrill (Zoho Music), and En Este Momento (Marsalis Music). In 2019, Turning Pages earned her a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Album. Acuña has been nominated for Chile’s Person of the Year for her music and humanitarian contributions. In 2024, she was recognized by the North American Chilean Chamber of Commerce for her musical career. Her recent performances include International Jazz Day with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Newport Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers program, and a Tiny Desk concert on NPR, to name a few. To learn more, visit claudiaacuna.net.