Rodrigo Villanueva

Drummer, percussionist, arranger, and composer born in Mexico City, Mexico on March 26, 1967. Mr. Rodrigo Villanueva began playing drums at age of 15, studying privately with Ignacio Gutierrez (1982), Andreas Lüscher (1983-1987), Alvaro López (1987-1991), and Chris Adams (1993-1996). He also studied classical percussion and jazz studies at "Escuela Superior de Musica" (1985-1987), "Ollin Yoliztly" (1987-1989), and "Escuela Nacional de Musica" (1989-1991). In 1987, he joined the third-extreme jazz group "Atril 5," touring Mexico and playing in several international new music festivals premiering contemporary music, such as Eugenio Tousseint's Variaciones Concertantes (1994). In the jazz/classical genre he accompanied several soloists, such as Carlos Prieto, Edison Quintana, Roberto Limón, Marisa Canales, Alan Durbeq, Bozena Slavinska, Ana Maria Tradatti, Juan Carlos Laguna, Takagoshi Yoshioka, and Zsbigsev Paleta. With the group "Atril 5," he recorded "ICE CREAM CONCERTO and FLAVORS of the stars" by Meyer Kupfermann. Villanueva has played with several mexican jazz groups such as Roberto Aymes' "Contemporary Jazz Trio" (1989-1992), John Hager's "Brass Explosion " (1986-1994), Rodolfo Sanchez's "Fénix "(1989-1992), Carlos Gallegos' "Jazztlán " (1996), and he also co-led the group "Espiral " with Agustín Bernal and Daniel Hidalgo (1994-1997). At the beginning of his career, he performed in several theater plays, such as "Play it Again, Sam" (1986-1987), "Morte e Vida Severina" (1987), and "La Señora en su Balcón "(1988).

Mr. Villanueva has toured the U.S., Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia with several jazz and pop projects, including a 7 year tenure as the drummer for the Mexican pop singer & actress Lucero (1991-1998). In 1991, he won the National Final Nescafe-Yamaha Pop Music Award Band Explosion with the group "Corazón Latino" (finalist in Tokyo, Japan 1991). He also played in several mexican TV shows and studio sessions in the early 1990's.

As an educator Mr. Villanueva has taught drum-set and percussion courses and master classes at different institutions in Mexico, the U.S., Perú, Korea, & Japan.
In 1997, he moved to Denton, Texas to attend the jazz music program at the distinguished University of North Texas, where he studied drums with Ed Soph (1997-2002), jazz vibes with Ed Smith (2000-2002), and classical percussion with Robert Schietroma (1997-1999), and Christopher Deane (2000-2001). While he attended the UNT jazz program, Mr. Villanueva played with several jazz and classical ensembles (3 O'clock, 4 O'clock, 5 O'clock, 6 O'clock, 7 O'clock lab bands, Zebras, Jazz Singers I, L-5 Jazz Guitar Ensemble, Lynn Seaton's Jazz Trio '00, Stefan Karlsson Trio, UNT Symphonic Band, UNT Concert Band, and UNT Brass Band). He also has been awarded with various scholarships and grants (Charn Uswachokee Music Scholarship '97-01, Good Neighbor Texas Gov. Grant '00-01, FONCA '98-00). He graduated in 2001 with Magna Cum Laude honors (BM; Jazz Studies) and received a Masters degree in Jazz Studies in 2003.

As a novel composer, he has co-arranged and sequenced music for pop artists (Lucero's national tour '95) and has composed several pieces in the jazz and pop idioms. Among them are his original compositions for jazz big band Not Yet!, Keep Trying, and El Niño, which have been published by Increase Music and Walrus Music. Keep Trying is featured in the Lab 2002 One O'clock Album.

While in the United States he has played professionally with several jazz and pop artists, such as Terry Hankins, Lee Tomboulian, Charles McPherson, Eddie Henderson, Clark Terry, Wycliffe Gordon, Jimmy Owens Derrick Logozzo, Larry Randall, Carlos Guedes, Fareed Haque, Liam Teague, Hiro Morozumi, Alejandro Fernández, Sandra Kaye, and Margo Reymundo. His favorite drummers are Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Bill Stewart, and Steve Gadd. As a composer he has been influenced by Bartok, Ravel, Revueltas, Bob Brookmayer, Vince Mendoza, and Maria Schneider.

Mr. Villanueva holds a B.M. ('01) and a M.M. ('03) in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas and is currently Assistant Professor of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University, where he teaches Jazz Drum Set, Jazz Arranging, and coaches the NIU Jazz Lab Band. He performs regularly in the U.S. and Mexico with several groups, among them, the Sada Jazz Trio, The Jan Wheaton Jazz Quartet, The Sara Yervand Jazz Group, The Janguen Bae Jazz Trio, The Hiro Morozumi Jazz Trio and The Rodrigo Villanueva Jazz Trio/Quartet. Rodrigo endorses Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads and VicFirth Drumsticks.