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Gilson Schachnik--Artist Bio
Keyboardist Performer Composer Arranger Teacher
Born in 1963 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gilson Schachnik started music
instruction when he was eleven at The Yamaha Organ School. Later on he
studied piano with Hilton "Gogo" Valente and Antonio Bezzan. His
professional career began when he was 22 years old, playing at nightclubs in
Sao Paulo. A few years later he was performing with BMG/Ariola artist
Patricia Marx and touring throughout Brazil with Polygram recording artist
Rosa Maria. During this same period Gilson composed jingles for BASF
cassette tapes and Playboy magazine, among others. He composed music for
the soundtrack of the childrenšs television program Ratimbum, which aired on
the State of Sao Paulo TV Network and was awarded Best TV show by the New
York Film Festival.
In 1990, Gilson won a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of
Music in Boston, where he graduated with a diploma in jazz composition.
Since that time he has made the United States his home. Gilson has played
or recorded with some of the most important names of the jazz and Brazilian
music scenes, such as Claudio Roditti, Bill Pierce, Romero Lubambo, Yoron Israel, Jerry
Bergonzi, Luciana Souza, Mick Goodrick, John Lockwood, Paulo Braga, Peri
Ribeiro, Antonio Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, and Cafe. In addition, Gilson has
studied with Danilo Perez, Charlie Banacos, and Bob Durso.
Gilsonšs debut CD, Raw [make this a hotlink to discography page],
appeared in 1998, and received rave reviews. Bob Young, of the Boston
Herald and Jazziz Magazine, wrote, "Gilson Schachnik creates the kind of
all-encompassing jazz mix that fans of the music's new world order now
demand: entertaining, uncliched and flavored with tastes from around the
globe." Raw was nominated for the
1999 Boston Music Awards.
Gilson has worked as an accompanist for the Berklee vocal department,
and currently is the accompanist for Wellesley Collegešs jazz choir,
Body
and Soul
Gilsonšs next CD, yet to be released, features an all-star Latin Jazz ensemble: drummer Antonio Sanchez,
saxophonist Miguel Zenon, bassist Fernando Huergo, guitarist Guilherme
Monteiro, and percussionist Sula da Silva. |
