Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martínez

ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY PRESENTS 
GRAMMY® NOMINATED CUBAN JAZZ ARTISTS
 ALFREDO RODRÍGUEZ AND PEDRITO MARTÍNEZ
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY,
JANUARY 22, 2026   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 8, 2025) – Ensemble Arts Philly presents Grammy® nominated Cuban jazz artists Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martínez at the Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on January 22, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. As a part of the 2025-26 Jazz Series, these two master musicians take the audience on a unique and exciting journey through a variety of moods and influences, from Cuban classics to collaborative original compositions and unexpected favorites. 

The artists first collaborated on Rodríguez’s 2012 album, The Invasion Parade, and since then, have had rare opportunities to perform together as a duo. Their second album, Duologue, produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, established the pair as a leading force in the jazz world.  

"What makes this duo completely different is that I came from the folkloric side and Alfredo came from the classical side," said Martínez. "You put those things together and you come out with an extraordinary and different sound." 

"What Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martínez create together is more than music; it’s a conversation between worlds," said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. "When they meet, you hear the past, present, and future of jazz all at once. We’re thrilled to have these two remarkable and trusted musical partners in the intimate Perelman Theater space inside the Kimmel Center for one-night-only.”  

A classical pianist by training, Rodríguez was discovered by his mentor Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz Festival while Martínez honed his craft on the streets of Havana, learning deeply rooted percussion and vocal styles of Afro-Cuban folkloric and religious music. Rodríguez trained in Havana's rigorous classical conservatories, shaping his artistry as much by Bach and Stravinsky as by Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz. Martínez's musical training came directly from the streets of the Cayo Queso neighborhood of Old Havana. Over the years, he has collaborated with icons such as Sting, Paul Simon, and Wynton Marsalis.   

Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martínez are part of Ensemble Arts Philly’s 2025-26 Jazz Series. Other featured upcoming performances in the 2025-26 Jazz Series include - Béla Fleck & the Flecktones: Jingle All the Way (December 12, 2025, Miller Theater); Kurt Elling: Wildflowers (February 27, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Emmet Cohen: Miles and Coltrane at 100 (March 20, 2026, Miller Theater); Endea Owens & The Cookout (March 28, 2026, Perelman Theater in the Kimmel Center); Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer (April 21, 2026, Miller Theater); Rhiannon Giddens (May 5, 2026, Miller Theater); and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (May 26, 2026, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center). 

Tickets 
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or in person at the Academy of Music Box Office (240 S. Broad Street) daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.    

Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martínez
Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 7:30 p.m.

# # #  

ABOUT ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY 
For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.       

# # #      

For photography, please visit www.ensembleartsphilly.smugmug.com. 
Click here for a PDF version of this press release.