Trombone and Trumpet
Musical Introduction Series teaching artist Rafi Malkiel was born in Jerusalem and currently resides in New York City, where he has established himself as a mainstay on the city's jazz and Latin music scenes.
The recipient of a 2008 grant from Chamber Music America's New Works: Creation and Presentation Program, Rafi draws upon a wide variety of global music styles and influences in both live performances and in the studio. These include written and improvised works from the American jazz tradition, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, melodies and compositions as well as techniques from the Western classical music canon.
Rafi Malkiel's critically acclaimed debut album My Island features original compositions and his arrangements of popular Latin and jazz classics. The album was named Latin Jazz Album of 2007 by All About Jazz-NY, cited by The Village Voice as a notable release of 2007 and a nominee for Best Latin Jazz CD of 2007 by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Established in 2003, The Rafi Malkiel Ensemble is comprised of some of the most exciting musicians in New York and regularly performs at clubs and festivals in the U.S. In addition, Rafi performs with Willie Colon, Jason Lindner's Big Band and the Grammy-nominated Colombian singer Toto La Momposina, among others. His other credits include having been a member of the band Salsa Picante for a decade, participating in Reggie Workman's John Coltrane Africa Brass Live project and performing with Bobby Short at The Café Carlyle.
Rafi Malkiel has played Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Town Hall, Symphony Space and other notable New York venues and also performed at numerous festivals around the world including the JVC Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Central Park Summer Stage, WOMAD festivals in Greece, New Zealand, and Australia, the Sydney Festival in Australia, and the Red Sea International Jazz Festival in Israel.
Rafi Malkiel earned a Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The New School for Social Research/ Mannes Schools of Music. He teaches trombone and chamber music at the Bloomingdale School of Music and at the 92nd Street Y and is an active clinician, conducting master classes around the world and workshops at several WOMAD festivals in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.