Jose Luis has been performing for over thirty years and is highly regarded as a gifted harpist by his peers. Jose Luis is the only harpist to play both the classic concert harp and the Latin lever harp; which requires him to pluck the strings with two different techniques; the first uses his fingertips and the second his nails.
Jose Luis first fell in love with the sound of the harp and began studying in his early teens with Maestro Jose Serrano in Puerto Rico. He later visited Los Angeles to take private lessons with the world-renowned harpist and composer Alfredo Rolando Ortiz.
After returning to Puerto Rico he performed at such luxury hotels as the Caribe Hilton and the El San Juan as well as at government-sponsored events at La Fortaleza and the Capital.
After moving to NYC he was recognized by NY’s Backstage Weekly when he was the only harpist ever to be named Outstanding Cabaret Artist of the Year. The NY Theater Scene gave him their Critics Choice Award and the Backstage Bistro Awards named him the Unique Artist of the Year.
Jose Luis has performed at events in some of the most prestigious venues in NYC including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Museum of the City of New York, Museo El Bario, the Hispanic Society, the Metropolitan Club, the Harvard Club, Cipriani Downtown, Central Park and Bryant Park, just to name a few. He was honored to be asked by local governments to perform at several 9/11 Memorials. Jose Luis’ performances are all very special as each and every selection is his own arrangement; designed to showcase the unique sound of his two harps. He continues to spend many hours rehearsing in order to make each selection his own and to create memorable arrangements. His repertoire is extensive and includes many hits from the Great American Songbook, Broadway, American Pop, and Latin Jazz. Also, let’s not forget the ever special music most often requested for weddings.
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