Cuenca
Jazz Drummer

Upcoming Events

DATE: GROUP: INFO:
May 17 Jared Gold Group FatCat in NYC, 1:30am
May 21 Chris Washburne Concert at Columbia University in NYC, 2-6pm
May 23 Chris Washburne Concert at Columbia University, 6-8pm
May 24 Sylvia Cuenca Jazz 966 in Brooklyn, 10pm
May 30 Jared Gold Makeda in New Brunswick, NJ, 7:30pm
June 7 & 8 Sylvia Cuenca Trio featuring Peter Horvath and Gary Brown Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Healdsburg Hotel in California
June 19 Lew Soloff St. Peter's Church in NYC
June 21 Sylvia Cuenca Trio Grassos in Long Island, NY, 7:30-11pm


About SYLVIA Cuenca

Sylvia Cuenca, Jazz Drummer

Ms. Cuenca endorses Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Regal Tip brushes and LP percussion.

Sylvia is an active drummer on the New York jazz scene contributing outstanding performances in a variety of situations. She has had the honor of sharing the bandstand with saxophone legend Joe Henderson for 4 years. They toured extensively in Europe, Asia and U.S. Sylvia also performed with trumpet legend Clark Terry for 17 years. Terry's quintet and big band performed jazz cruises, clubs, concerts and festivals in the U.S. Europe, the Caribbean, and South America.

Sylvia also performed and toured with jazz luminaries Billy Taylor, Eddie Henderson, Gary Bartz, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Frank Foster, Red Holloway, Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Michael Brecker, Houston Person, Etta Jones, Jon Faddis, Dave Stryker, Dianne Reeves, John Hicks, Geoff Keezer, Denise Donatelli, John Handy, Lew Soloff, Marian McPartland, Hilton Ruiz, George Cables, James Spaulding, Kenny Drew Jr., Frank Foster's Loud Minority Big Band, Randy Brecker, Emily Remler, Jesse Davis, Helen Merrill, Vienna Art Orchestra and many others.

Guest Director for Sisters in Jazz program at Kennedy Center 2005, Faculty at Jazz for Teens program at NJPAC and Stanford Jazz Workshop in Stanford, California. She is also a clinician for universities throughout U.S. and Europe. In 1988 and 1991 Sylvia received two NEA Grants and in 1992 she was a semi-finalist at Thelonious Monk International Drum Competition. Sylvia is originally from San Jose, California and has studied with Victor Lewis, Adam Nussbaum, Keith Copeland and Portinho. She currently resides in New York City.

Some special highlights include:
  • In 2012 performed with Kevin Mahogany at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in South Africa
  • In 2012 performed as leader at the JusJazz International Jazz Festival in India
  • The Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jon Faddis
  • Guest Director 2005 for the Sisters in Jazz Program at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC
  • Track from "EXIT 13" used in episode of HBO's "Sex and the City"
  • Interview in Latina Style magazine
  • Independent Release of 2 CD's as a leader EXIT 13 and THE CROSSING to critical acclaim
  • Critical acclaim from major music publications of her independent release THE CROSSING
  • Tour of Korea and Japan with Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, and Michael Brecker
  • Feature on a Billy Taylor segment of "Up and Coming Artists" on CBS Sunday Morning Show
  • The Sylvia Cuenca Group in the Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC
  • Cover feature of "The Metro", Silicon Valley, CA newspaper
  • The Sylvia Cuenca Group at the Monterey Jazz Festival - 2002
  • Contact sylcuencs@yahoo.com | Website by Ben Azzara © 2013 | Top-Right Photograph by Paul Aresu