Néstor Torres is a jazz

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in 1957. He took flute lessons at age 12 and began formal studies at the Escuela Libre de Música, eventually attending Puerto Rico’s

Inter-American University The Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico''; often abbreviated to ''UIPR'' or ''Inter'') is a private Christian university with its main campus in San Germán, Puerto Rico. It also has c ...

. At 18, he moved to New York with his family. Torres went on to study both jazz and classical music at the Mannes College of Music in New York and the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

in Boston, among other places. Torres is also a practitioner of

Nichiren Buddhism Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one o ...

and a longtime member of the Buddhist association

Soka Gakkai International Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international Nichiren Buddhist organisation founded in 1975 by Daisaku Ikeda, as an umbrella organization of Soka Gakkai, which declares approximately 12 million adherents in 192 countries and territorie ...

. In 2007, Torres played at the World Music Concert during One World Week 2007 at the

University of Warwick , mottoeng = Mind moves matter , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £7.0 million (2021) , budget = £698.2 million (202 ...

. In 2010, Torres joined the faculty of

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest university in Florida ...

as a visiting guest artist and founding director of its School of Music's first charanga ensemble.Grammy Award winner Nestor Torres joins FIU faculty, FIU News, October 18, 2010
/ref> On March 21, 2009, he played in Herbst Theatre in San Francisco in performance "Tango Meets Jazz" with Pablo Ziegler. On September 9, 2009, he played at the

Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) Greek Theatre is an amphitheatre located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. It is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is operated by ASM Global. Designed by architects Samuel Tilden Norton, Frederick Hastings Wallisand, and the Taco ...

with the

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and back ...

. He guested on the song "Lying In The Hands Of God." He performed at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games opening ceremony.

Albums

* '' Colombia En Charanga'' - Released: 1978 * '' No Me Provoques'' - Released: 1981 * '' Afro - Charanga Vol. 2'' - Released: 1983 * ''Morning Ride'' - Released: 1989 * '' Dance of the Phoenix'' - Released: 1990 * '' Burning Whispers'' - Released: 1994 * '' Talk to Me'' - Released: 1996 * ''Treasures of the Heart'' - Released: 1999 * '' This Side of Paradise'' - Released: 2001 * '' Mis Canciones Primeras'' - Released: 2001 * ''Mi Alma Latina'' - Released: 2002 * ''The Sutra of The Lotus of The Wonderful Law'' - Released: 2004 * '' Sin Palabras'' - Released: 2004 * '' Dances, Prayers & Meditations For Peace'' - Released: 2006 * '' The Very Best Of Nestor Torres (2007)'' * '' Nestor Torres - Nouveau Latino (2008)'' * '' Del Caribe, Soy!: Latin American Flute Music (2017)'' * '' Jazz Flute Traditions (2018)'' * '' Dominican Suite (2022)''

References

External links

Official Website Distribution Label
* 1957 births Living people Puerto Rican jazz musicians Latin Grammy Award winners People from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican Buddhists Members of Sōka Gakkai Smooth jazz flautists American Buddhists Nichiren Buddhists {{Flautist-stub