The Department of Music and the UA Multicultural Center present Pavel Polanco-Safadit as a guest artist at Giffels Auditorium. Polanco-Safadit will be joined by UArk musicians Prof. Fernando Valencia, Prof. Garrett Jones, and graduate student Juan Santos.

Pavel is known for his energetic, fiery performances, much in the vein of the modern pyrotechnicians of today’s Latin Jazz world. Pavel is an internationally-known Dominican pianist and Chicago Music Awards Nominee.

Pavel studied at the University of Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University and University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has performed in North America, South America and the Caribbean, Asia and Europe. He has shared the stage with legends such as: Peter Erskine, Dave Valentin, Max Weinberg, Sergio George, Roscoe Mitchell, Gunther Schuller, Richard Davis, Michael Spiro, Pavel Nuñez just to mention a few. Pavel has also performed with The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, The Carmel Symphony Orchestra and The Anderson Symphony Orchestra.

Pavel with his group “Pavel & Direct Contact” released their first album The Other Side (2016). Since then, He has produced four recordings with AireBorn Records: Rush Hour (2017), D’la Calle (2018), Americanisao (2019), and Día Bonito (2021). Along with the single, “You” (2020).