Hector Martignon is a New York based pianist that has composed, produced, performed and recorded music in a wide spectrum of genres. Martignon is known for combining improvisational Jazz with styles such as Classical European, World Music, and most notably Latin American.
His five albums as a leader, two as co-leader (Mozart’s Blue Fantasies & Bach’s Secret Files) as well as his work on over a hundred albums, scores for five feature films, and three Broadway Musicals, showcase his wide-ranging area of expertise. He was recruited as musical director and keyboardist for the world tour of cuban based musical, Carmen La Cuabana .Furthermore, after several nominations as a sideman, two of his five solo projects, Refugee in 2008 and Second Chance in 2010 have been nominated for a Grammy Award. Hector aditionally arranged and performed parts of Ang Lee’s Oscar nominated movie Eat, Drink, Man, Woman.
As a requested sideman Hector has toured the world with such greats as Paquito D’Rivera, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre, Don Byron, Tito Puente and was featured pianist with Max Roach’s Project America at the 92NY. In adition, Martignon was pianist for the late Ray Barretto’s various ensembles. During his eight-year association with Barretto, his contributions as pianist, arranger, and composer were fundamental in shaping the sound of the now famous New World Spirit Sextet.
Martignon’s joy of teaching has made him a requested guest-lecturer and performance teacher in music faculties and academies in several countries of Europe, North- and South America, and Japan. This includes Germany in which Hector conducts a “compact seminar” on Classic Music-based improvisation every November. Additionally, Hector is an adjuct professor of Music Theory and History at Hofstra University on Long Island and has also written an instructional book on Latin piano commissioned and published by Hal Leonard called, the Salsa Piano Book.
Martignon’s abilities as a pianist have always been enriched by his interest in varied musical genres and styles. His studies of classical piano and composition at the prestigious Freiburger Musikhochschule in Germany were enriched by his performances with the best Afro-Cuban and Brazilian bands of Europe, backing stars like Celia Cruz and Ismael Quintana. Attending seminars of contemporary composition with masters like Gyorgi Ligetti, Luigi Nono and Karl Heinz Stockhausen, he grew his personal style of composition.
After his studies, liiving in Brazil, Martignon quickly became a requested studio musician, working for star producer Carlinhos Brown. Since relocating to New York, Martignon has made a name for himself as one of the most sought after pianists of the New York City Latin jazz scene. Martignon continues to record, produce, orchestrate, and perform his music and is in the process of several new releases.
hectormartignon.com 