Diego J. R. 

Drums, Piano

 

Diego is a New York-based drummer, pianist, composer and educator.  Born and raised in Cork, Ireland, Diego played his first drum gig with his father’s band at the age of 4. By the time he was 17, Diego was touring professionally all over Ireland and Europe.

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Diego proceeded to also learn how to play the piano and eventually received his performance degree from Berklee College Of Music and has also studied as part of The Banff International Jazz Workshop and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program. His recognition and awards include the Berklee Vater Drum-Set award, the Cork City Arts Award, the TD Fellowship award, the ASCAP Composition award, and finalist in the 2017 DC Jazz Prix Competition with his group SULA.

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An active performer, Diego has performed with many notable musicians including Vijay Iyer, Oscar Stagnaro, Ralph Peterson Jr, Cyrille Aimee and Michael League and participated in many international venues and festivals including the SXSW, The Kennedy Center, Montreal and the DC Jazz Fest, Barranquilla Jazz Fest (Colombia), Umbria Jazz Fest (Italy), and Cork Jazz Fest (Ireland). He regularly performs at established New York City venues such as Smalls, Fat Cat, Zinc, Nublu, Rockwood Music Hall and tours in North/South America, and Europe.

As an educator, Diego brings his unique personal, cultural and collaborative experiences to support others who wish to express a love towards creating music. His teaching and mentoring is aimed at seeing each student as an individual with a set of unique upbringings, ambitions, and tastes for music. The main focus of his lessons is to inspire, encourage, and generate curiosity and enthusiasm for music, while creating a relaxed and fun atmosphere in which the students can learn at their own pace and are comfortable enough to express themselves creatively.