Cuban-born jazz pianist and composer David Virelles grew up in Santiago, the son of the famous Cuban singer-songwriter José Aquiles. Although he studied classical piano from the age of seven, Virelles acknowledges many forms of Cuban music that influenced him during his formative years. After meeting the Canadian flautist Jane Bunnett during one of her visits to Cuba, she persuaded Virelles to continue his musical education in Canada and as a result he studied at the University of Toronto and began touring and recording with Bunnett, playing on her 2001 album 'Alma de Santiago'.
On the strength of his talents Virelles secured a grant from the Canadian Council for the Arts which enabled him to study under the legendary American composer, saxophonist and Pullitzer prize-winner Henry Threadgill in New York. Virerlles eventually relocated permanently to New York and, through Threadgill, soon found himself playing with major American jazzmen including Chris Potter and Mark Turner. Although in regular demand as a sideman, Virelles has built a successful solo career playing his own unique take on modern jazz with a style which encompasses many Cuban and other ethnic influences.
