Néstor Torres (born 25 April 1957) is a Puerto Rican jazz
flautist
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
, born in
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 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. 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
The Mannes School of Music (), originally called the David Mannes Music School and later the Mannes Music School, Mannes College of Music, the Chatham Square Music School, and Mannes College: The New School for Music, is a Music school, music con ...
in New York and the
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
in Boston, among other places. His CD ''This Side Of Paradise'' was awarded Best Pop Instrumental Album at the
2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2001.
Torres is also a practitioner of
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism (), also known as ''Hokkeshū'' (, 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 of the Kamakura period school ...
and a longtime member of the Buddhist association
Soka Gakkai International
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international Nichiren Buddhist organization founded in 1975 by Daisaku Ikeda, as an umbrella organization of Soka Gakkai.
It is run by two vice-presidents, including Hiromasa Ikeda, son of the founder. It c ...
.
In 2010, Torres joined the faculty of
Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...
as a visiting guest artist and founding director of its School of Music's first
charanga ensemble.
Albums
* ''Colombia En Charanga'' (1978)
* ''No Me Provoques'' (1981)
* ''Afro - Charanga Vol. 2'' (1983)
* ''Morning Ride'' (1989)
* ''Dance of the Phoenix'' (1990)
* ''Burning Whispers'' (1994)
* ''Talk to Me'' (1996)
* ''Treasures of the Heart'' (1999)
* ''This Side of Paradise'' (2001)
* ''Mis Canciones Primeras'' (2001)
* ''Mi Alma Latina'' (2002)
* ''The Sutra of The Lotus of The Wonderful Law'' (2004)
* ''Sin Palabras'' (2004)
* ''Dances, Prayers & Meditations For Peace'' (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
Musicians from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican Buddhists
Members of Sōka Gakkai
Smooth jazz flautists
American Buddhists
Nichiren Buddhists
{{Flautist-stub