This month, our Music the Atrium series celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Latin jazz from Peruvian guitarist José Allende.

Allende is a versatile guitarist, arranger, composer and teacher, always exploring different rhythms, concepts and spirituality in music. He uses acoustic and electric guitars to fuse Afro-Peruvian and other South American and Latin rhythms with contemporary jazz harmonies and meters. He has worked as a musician and educator in Lima, Chicago, Houston and Connecticut, and now performs and teaches jazz, Latin styles and classical guitar around New England.

Music in the Atrium is PEM’s live concert series that features local and visiting performers from a variety of musical traditions and styles. Concerts take place on select Sundays from 11:30 am–1:30 pm. Explore upcoming shows at pem.org/events.

About the collaborator

Jose Allende was born in Lima, Peru, and began playing guitar at the age of eight. He has taken private lessons with Eloy La Rocha and Andres Prado in Peru, Jon Damian at Berklee and David Doruzka and Danilo Perez at NEC in Boston. He holds a Master's in Modern American Music, including Jazz, Latin, Classical and Free Music Performance, from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a member of a quintet invited to give a clinic on Afro-Peruvian Jazz Music at IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) in Long Beach, California, featuring the drummer Alex Acuna. Read more about his musical career on his website or find him on Instagram and Facebook.