Paul Winter Consort

Paul Winter Consort

Paul Winter’s musical odyssey has long embraced the traditions of the world’s cultures, as well as the wildlife voices of what he refers to as "the greater symphony of the Earth." From the early days of his college jazz sextet, which toured 23 countries of Latin America for the State Department and performed the first-ever jazz concert at the White House for the Kennedys in 1962, to his later ensemble, the Paul Winter Consort, his concert tours and recording expeditions have taken him to 52 countries and to wilderness areas on six continents, where he has traveled on rafts, dog sleds, mules, kayaks, tug-boats and Land Rovers. He has recorded over 50 albums, of which seven have been honored with Grammy® Awards. Since 1980, Paul and the Consort have been artists-in-residence at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where they have presented over 200 concerts, including their annual solstice celebrations.

Joining Winter in the Consort are musicians whose own musical journeys span continents and traditions:

• Henrique Eisenmann — piano. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and by the time he finished college had absorbed the entire gamut of Brazilian musical genres. Drawn to the United States by jazz, he came to Boston to study at the New England Conservatory, from which he received both M. A. and Ph. D. degrees. Fascinated with the adventures of improvisation, Henrique is also dedicated to education. He is on the faculty at Juilliard, where he teaches improvisation to the classical piano students and is the Artistic Director at Jazz Lab.

• Peter Slavov — bass. His background began with classical music in Sofia, Bulgaria. After discovering American jazz, he became one of the busiest bassists on the scene in Bulgaria before receiving a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music and coming to the United States in 1999. Since then, he has played with a galaxy of world-renowned jazz stars, with whom he has performed in prestigious venues and festivals in over 40 countries.

• Bertram Lehmann — percussion. From Bremen, Germany, Lehmann has been a faculty member of the Berklee College of Music since 2004, teaching the entire gamut of percussion, including jazz, orchestral, and a multitude of world music traditions. He is known as a leading expert on the music of the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and Africa.