Press
Quotes
"Mario is a technically brilliant, yet also deeply musical guitarist. Every time I hear him, he sounds better than the time before. He also writes intricate, engaging, and yes, deeply musical compositions. He is one of the top players I have worked with in my teaching practice."
Davy Mooney (Head of the Jazz Guitar Department at UNT; Brian Blade, John Pizzarelli, Jon Cowherd).
"Mario is one of the smartest people I know, and it comes through his music with clarity and elegance."
Noel Johnston (Kenny Wheeler, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano).
"[...] a master of tone, touch and taste. His guitar playing combines both the complexities of jazz and the soulfulness of blues to give him an amazingly compelling and captivating sound.”
Quincy Davis (Benny Golson, Christian McBride, Aaron Parks, Roy Hargrove).
Bio
Short
Mario Wellmann is a jazz guitarist from Chile based in New York city and Austin (TX). Throughout his musical career, Mario has performed in South America, the United States and Europe, and has had the honor of sharing the stage with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg, and Allison Wedding, among other jazz luminaries. In 2022 he received two DownBeat student awards, one of them with The West Mulberry Trio – a project that he co-leads. Mario’s music synthesizes jazz traditions with contemporary aesthetics to create a historically grounded perspective reflecting his unique musical positionality and cultural background. His arrangements and compositions aim to sonically engage distinct human universals which may be difficult to articulate through words, such as nuanced yet ubiquitous emotions. In doing so, he seeks to create connections among audience members and performers.
Medium
Mario Wellmann is a jazz guitarist from Chile based in New York city and Austin (TX). Throughout his musical career, Mario has performed in South America, the United States and Europe, and has had the honor of sharing the stage with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg, and Allison Wedding, among other jazz luminaries. Between 2021 and 2023 he recorded albums with the Alexa Torres Skillicorn Quartet, the Simeon Davis Group, and the award-winning bands UNT Latin Jazz and UNT Jazz Singers. In 2022 he received two DownBeat student awards, one of them with The West Mulberry Trio – a project that he co-leads.
Mario’s music synthesizes jazz traditions with contemporary aesthetics to create a historically grounded perspective reflecting his unique musical positionality and cultural background. His arrangements and compositions aim to sonically engage distinct human universals which may be difficult to articulate through words, such as nuanced yet ubiquitous emotions. In doing so, he seeks to create connections among audience members and performers.
In addition to his BM in Jazz Studies, Mario holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and a master’s degree in Neuroscience. In September 2023, Mario will embark on his PhD in Music Theory at Columbia University, further exploring the intersection of music and neuroscience.
Long
Mario Wellmann is a jazz guitarist and researcher from Chile based in New York city and Austin (TX). He is the leader of the Mario Wellmann Quartet. Mario’s music synthesizes jazz traditions with contemporary aesthetics to create a historically grounded perspective reflecting his specific musical positionality. His arrangements and compositions aim to sonically engage distinct human universals which may be difficult to articulate through words, such as nuanced yet ubiquitous emotions. In doing so, he seeks to create connections among audience members and performers.
In 2022, Mario received his bachelor’s degree in jazz studies (performance) from the internationally acclaimed College of Music of the University of North Texas. There, he studied guitar with Davy Mooney and Noel Johnston, improvisation with Philip Dizack and Dave Meder, and jazz arranging with Rich DeRosa. The same year, he received two Downbeat student awards, one of them with The West Mulberry Trio – a project that he co-leads. Between 2021 and 2023 he recorded albums with the Alexa Torres Skillicorn Quartet, the Simeon Davis Group, and the award-winning bands UNT Latin Jazz and UNT Jazz Singers. Throughout his musical career, Mario has performed in a diverse array of venues in South America, the United States and Europe, and has had the honor of sharing the stage with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg, and Allison Wedding, among other jazz luminaries.
In addition to his BM in Jazz Studies, Mario holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and a master’s degree in Neuroscience. His research has been published in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, The Neuroscientist, Neurobiology of Disease, and Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, among other neuroscience and education journals. In September 2023, Mario will embark on his PhD in Music Theory at Columbia University, further exploring the intersection of music and neuroscience.
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