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Federico Britos Jazz Quintet

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A color portrait of an older male musician, featuring a serious, direct expression. He has a white beard and gray hair and is wearing a dark navy blazer over a bright yellow shirt. He is holding a violin diagonally across his chest and has a violin bow in his right hand. The background is a rich, detailed, antique-style tapestry or woven wall hanging featuring scenes of figures and foliage in muted shades of brown, gold, and cream, suggesting a formal or historic setting.

Federico Britos Quintet

Federico Britos Quintet Biography:

 

Violin, guitar, bass, piano and drums, plus vocalist for some pieces

There is no greater proof of the universality of jazz and classical music than that which embodies the career and life work of Federico Britos. This titan of the violin, who is as equally adept within the world of jazz music as he is in the classical realm, has built a solid reputation throughout the Southern Hemisphere of the Americas.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Federico began playing violin at age five. George Boulanger, Rumanian violinist, while touring in Uruguay, premiered one of his musical pieces “Capricho Uruguayo”; Federico was eleven years old at that moment. He had the opportunity to meet and perform for David Oistracht and Jasha Heifetz at his teacher’s home, Adolph Bornstein. Both of them agreed that he was a gifted musician, capable of playing classic and jazz as well.

Serving as principal chair, soloist, and ultimately Concertmaster with some of the great symphony orchestras of Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, Cuba, and United States (Miami), Federico has toured extensively throughout the Americas and Europe. He would, in time, not only perform with some of Latin America’s greatest musicians, such as Astor Piazzolla, Horacio Salgan, Bola de Nieve, Cachao, Joao Gilberto, Dorival Caimi, Vinicio de Moraes, Armando Manzanero and Tania Libertad. He would also have the opportunity to share his outstanding talent with Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Charlie Haden, Ken Peplowski, Eddie Higgins and Charlie Byrd. He has toured Europe with the Hot Club USA and Franck Vignola.

As a composer, Federico has written and recorded many works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, ballet and dance. He has also composed music for films, TV and theater. His never-ending inspiration is only comparable to his never-ending skill to improvise.

Federico has performed at various Jazz Festivals, such as: Montreux Jazz Festival; San Francisco Jazz Festival; International Jazz Festival in Espoo, Finland; Bern and Basile Jazz Festival (Switzerland); North Carolina Jazz Festival; New Bern Jazz Festival; Miami Jazz Festival; Boca Raton Jazz Festival; Puerto Rico Jazz Fest; Regatta Bar Jazz Festival (Boston); Summit Jazz Festival (Denver, Colorado); A Celebration of American Fiddle Music (Troy, NY); Django Reinhardt Festival at Birdland Jazz Club in New York and Miami Beach World Music Festival. He played as a special guest in The Grappelli Legacy in December 1998 at Carnegie Hall on the first anniversary of Stephane Grappelli’s disappearance.

Performed in the Concert Hall of Kennedy Center in Washington in a program called “AMERICANOS”, along with Cachao, Nestor Torres, Jose Feliciano, Juan Luis Guerra, Gloria Estefan and Paquito D’Rivera, produced by James Edward James Olmos.

Federico Britos Ruiz is a celebrated Uruguayan violinist known for his mastery of both classical and jazz music, performing with legends like Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington and winning Grammy Awards. He began violin at age five, became a prodigy, and went on to serve as a concertmaster for orchestras in Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Cuba, and later in the United States, including the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Britos is particularly noted for blending Latin American rhythms with jazz and classic styles, leading his own groups like the Hot Club of the Americas .

Career Highlights & Accolades
  • Grammy Awards: Britos has won multiple Grammy Awards for his collaborations on albums with artists such as Charlie Haden  and Bebo Valdés 
  • World-Class Performances: He has played at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. 
  • Orchestral Leadership:He served as principal chair and concertmaster for major symphony orchestras in Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Cuba. 
  • Concertmaster of Miami Symphony Orchestra: He was the concertmaster of the Miami Symphony Orchestra for seven years. 
  • Notable Collaborations:Britos has performed with a long list of music icons, including Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Chick Corea, Astor Piazzolla, and Charlie Haden. 
Musical Style & Influence
  • Genre Fusion: He is known for his ability to bridge the worlds of classical music, North American jazz, and the rhythms of Latin American music, such as tango, bossa nova, and candombe. 
  • Hot Club of the Americas: Britos leads his own ensemble, Hot Club of the Americas , which offers a unique, Latin-flavored interpretation of the music associated with the Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli-style Hot Clubs. 
  • Mentorship: He has been credited with introducing bossa nova to Cuba and continues to be a titan of the violin in both jazz and classical circles.
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