Behind the Music: Alejandro Castaño, percussion

Join us for Cultural Caravan’s Behind the Music series in partnership with the Center for Musical Arts! Join Cultural Caravan’s Artistic Director Josh Halpern as he welcomes a lineup of dynamic artists for intimate evenings of live music, personal stories, and unscripted conversation. Get a rare glimpse into their creative process, hear music you won’t experience anywhere else, and bring your own questions about art, inspiration, and life.

Meet Alejandro Castaño

Alejandro Castaño is a jazz and Afro-Cuban drummer and percussionist in Denver, Colorado. He is a first-generation Cuban and Colombian-American and draws inspiration from his culture into his music. Alejandro is an active performer and educator in the United States and abroad.

Highlights of his performance and recording credits include Chuchito Valdés, Ron Miles, Benny Benack III, Gerardo Aguillón, Raul Murciano, Jonathan Powell, Steve Turre, Greg Gisbert, Annie Booth, and many others.

Throughout his career, he has conducted numerous master classes at universities such as Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Truman State University, University of Jamestown, and University of Wyoming. Additionally, he has been a guest artist and educator at the National University of Costa Rica since 2012.

Currently, he is a lecturer at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and an instructor at Front Range Community College and Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, teaching drumset, percussion, jazz history and music theory. Alejandro can frequently be seen performing at Denver’s local jazz venues, festivals, and beyond.