Arturo Sandoval

Biography

Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter and pianist who was influenced by Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie while growing up in Cuba. He met Gillespie in 1977, became his friend and mentor, and eventually defected to the US with the United Nations Orchestra in 1990. A 10-time Grammy Award winner, Sandoval has performed at the White House and Super Bowl, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.