Hilario Durán

Hilario Durán (born 1953, Havana) is a Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist. Durán studied at Conservatorio "Amadeo Roldán" Amadeo Roldan Music Institute in Havana, studying tumbao with Evaristo Aparicio, composition and conducting from German Pifferrer, and orchestration from Guillermo Barreto. He formed a group in the 1970s called Los D'Siempre, which melded traditional Cuban elements with those of modern jazz. He joined Arturo Sandoval's band from 1981 to 1990. He also worked with Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra and Michel Legrand. He formed a new group, Perspectiva, in 1990, and toured Central America and Europe. From 1995 he worked as a solo artist in Toronto, Canada, and has collaborated over the course of his career with Tata Güines, Changuito, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Jorge Reyes, Roberto Occhipinti, Larry Cramer, John Patitucci, Michael Brecker, Regina Carter, Dave Valentin, Juan Pablo Torres, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Hugh Marsh, Carlos "Patato" Valdés, Lenny Andrade, Quartetto Gelato, Jane Bunnett and the Gryphon Trio. Duran was nominated for Juno Awards in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, winning in 2005 for New Danzon.