Gabriel Chakarji

Biography

About Gabriel

Gabriel Chakarji is a GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader whose music fuses Afro-Venezuelan rhythms, jazz, and the energy of New York City’s diverse soundscape. With a distinct voice that bridges tradition and innovation, Gabriel presents deeply rhythmic, harmonically rich music that explores themes of migration, identity, and the transformative power of sound.

His original projects have been featured at major venues and festivals across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, including Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, and Dizzy’s Club. Gabriel was awarded the prestigious Jazz Gallery Residency Commission and the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, and he participated in the GRAMMY-winning album “Fandango at the Wall in New York” with The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. In 2026, the Gabriel Chakarji Trio won the international JazzLab competition, earning a featured performance at Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Gabriel was awarded Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works grant for his suite “Immigrant Tales,” originally commissioned by The Jazz Gallery.

His albums Vida and New Beginning received critical acclaim for their bold compositions and emotional depth. His collaborative project, Caracas Trio — with Juan Diego Villalobos and Daniel Prim — brings together three Venezuelan-born musicians reimagining their roots through the lens of jazz and improvisation on their album Folklore. His most recent singles, “Cocina” and “Evidence” (featuring Alain Pérez), continue that exploration. His new trio album, Wake Window — featuring bassist Rafael Enciso and drummer Eviatar Slivnik — is forthcoming in 2026, preceded by the single “Alfonsina,” out July 17, 2026.

In addition to his work as a bandleader, Gabriel is an in-demand touring musician, performing with artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Ben Wendel, Jeremy Bosch, Dayna Stephens, and Ari Hoenig, and collaborating with companies including Disney’s “Encanto Sing-Along Show.”