Emilio Teubal

Biography

Emilio Teubal is an Argentine pianist, composer, and arranger whose work sits at the crossroads of Latin American folk traditions, tango, and contemporary jazz. Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1976 to Argentine parents living in exile during the military dictatorship, he spent his early childhood in Mexico City before the family returned to Argentina with the restoration of democracy in 1984.[1][8][9] Settling in Buenos Aires, he began piano studies at age nine, later enrolling at the National Conservatory and studying composition, arranging, and orchestration privately.[1] Through the 1990s he became an active member of Buenos Aires’ tango and jazz scenes, performing with numerous groups and absorbing the city’s musical idioms.[1][3]

In 1999 Teubal relocated to New York City to deepen his jazz studies, earning a BFA in Music from the City College of New York, where he graduated magna cum laude and received the Bushwick Composition Award for two consecutive years.[1] At CCNY he studied with prominent jazz figures including Marc Copland, Scott Reeves, Bruce Barth, Mike Holober, John Patitucci, Cliff Korman, and Ron Carter, experiences that helped shape his mature language as a composer and improviser.[1] Based in New York, he has led ensembles at venues such as the Iridium, Joe’s Pub, the Knitting Factory, BAM Café, Cornelia Street Café, and 55 Bar, and has appeared at major jazz festivals in the U.S. and abroad.[1] As a bandleader he has released multiple critically noted albums, including “La Balteuband” (2006), “Un Montón de Notas” (2009), and “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido” (2013), works that showcase his blend of Argentine rhythms, chamber‑like textures, and jazz improvisation.[1][7]

Teubal’s music often weaves elements of Argentine folk forms such as the chacarera and features tango‑derived figures like the bordoneo alongside harmonic and rhythmic concepts drawn from modern jazz and other world traditions.[1] While earlier recordings were sometimes described as “Argentine jazz,” he has emphasized that stylistic purity is not his goal; instead, he treats Argentine influences as one voice within a broader, cosmopolitan sound world that also reflects the input of his longtime collaborators.[1] In addition to leading his own groups, Teubal has recorded on dozens of albums as a sideman and performed or recorded with artists including Grammy winners Raúl Jaurena and Fernando Otero, as well as Erik Friedlander, Héctor del Curto, Bob Mover, John Benítez, Lucía Pulido, Pedro Giraudo, Lisandro Adrover, Miguel Bertero, and Astor Piazzolla’s legendary violinist Fernando Suárez Paz.[1][4][5] Through this body of work he has become a distinctive voice in contemporary Latin jazz and a key figure in the New York–based Argentine jazz and tango community.[1][2][7]

Fun Facts

• Teubal was born in Madrid in 1976 because his Argentine parents were living in political exile from the country’s military dictatorship; his transnational childhood later fed into the cosmopolitan character of his music.[1][8][9]
• Before moving to New York, he was deeply involved in Buenos Aires’ tango and jazz scenes, which helped ground his later experiments with blending folk rhythms, tango gestures, and jazz harmony.[1][3]
• He twice received the Bushwick Composition Award while studying at City College of New York, and in 2007 he was awarded Meet The Composer’s prestigious Van Lier Fellowship, supporting his work as an emerging composer.[1]
• Although his early recordings were branded as “Argentine jazz,” Teubal has stated that he no longer finds that label accurate for albums like “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido,” where Argentine elements are just one of many influences alongside other world‑music and jazz currents.[1]

Associated Acts

• Emilio Teubal Trio

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Marc Copland - Jazz piano and improvisation teacher at City College of New York (General influence on harmonic language and pianistic approach; not tied to specific Teubal albums in sources) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• Scott Reeves - Jazz theory/composition and improvisation instructor at CCNY (General guidance on arranging and modern jazz harmony) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• Bruce Barth - Jazz piano teacher and mentor at CCNY (Shaped Teubal’s approach to jazz piano; no specific projects cited) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• Mike Holober - Composition/arranging teacher at CCNY (Influence on Teubal’s ensemble writing and orchestration) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• John Patitucci - Prominent jazz bassist and educator who taught Teubal at CCNY (Guidance on rhythm section interaction and modern jazz concepts) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• Cliff Korman - Jazz piano and Brazilian/Latin jazz specialist teaching Teubal at CCNY (Helped refine Teubal’s Latin/jazz integration) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]
• Ron Carter - Legendary bassist who taught Teubal at CCNY (Influence on time feel, groove, and ensemble conception) [c. 1999–early 2000s during BFA studies]

Key Collaborators

• Sam Sadigursky - Long‑time reed collaborator in Teubal’s ensembles (Featured on “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido” (clarinet, saxophones, bass clarinet, flute)) [2000s–2010s]
• John Hadfield - Percussionist in Teubal’s projects, blending jazz and world‑music textures (Core member on “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido”) [2010s]
• Moto Fukushima - Six‑string electric bassist providing a modern, flexible low end to Teubal’s ensembles (Performs on “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido”) [2010s]
• Erik Friedlander - Cellist adding chamber‑music color to Teubal’s recordings (Guest on “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido”; also listed among Teubal’s performance/recording credits) [2010s]
• Satoshi Takeishi - Percussionist known for world‑music inflections in Teubal’s groups (Percussion and cajón on “Musica Para Un Dragón Dormido”) [2010s]
• Raúl Jaurena - Grammy‑winning bandoneonist with whom Teubal has performed and recorded (Various tango/jazz projects (specific album titles not listed in sources)) [2000s–2010s]
• Fernando Otero - Grammy‑winning Argentine pianist/composer; Teubal appears on his projects as sideman (Unspecified recordings cited among Teubal’s credits) [2000s–2010s]
• Héctor del Curto - Bandoneonist in the New York tango scene; Teubal collaborates in performance/recording contexts (Various tango‑focused projects (not individually named in the sources)) [2000s–2010s]
• Bob Mover - Saxophonist with whom Teubal has shared recording and performance credits (Unspecified jazz recordings listed among Teubal’s credits) [2000s–2010s]
• John Benítez - Bassist collaborating with Teubal in Latin jazz/jazz contexts (Unspecified albums and live projects) [2000s–2010s]
• Lucía Pulido - Colombian singer whose ensemble has included Teubal as a steady member (Performances and tours with the Marta Gómez Group and other New York–based projects; Teubal has also been a steady member of groups like Sebastián Cruz’s Coba and Los Chantas Tango Group) [2000s–2010s]
• Pedro Giraudo - Bassist and bandleader in the Argentine jazz/tango community (Teubal listed as performer/recording collaborator on Giraudo’s projects) [2000s–2010s]
• Fernando Suárez Paz - Astor Piazzolla’s legendary violinist, with whom Teubal has performed/recorded (Unspecified tango‑related recordings and concerts) [2000s–2010s]

Artists Influenced

• [[|]] - No specific students, protégés, or directly influenced artists are identified by name in the available sources, though reviews note his distinctive contribution to contemporary Latin jazz piano and composition.

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Remolinos (Tolerance) (Futuro)
2. Futuro (Futuro)
3. Etude 1 (Seven Etudes)
4. Etude 2 (Seven Etudes)
5. Etude 3 (Seven Etudes)
6. Etude 4 (alla Brad) (Seven Etudes)
7. Oblivion (feat. Emilio Teubal) (Sur: Violin Music of Argentina)
8. Cartuchín (El Aleph (Cámara))
9. Por Si Las Dudas (Por Si Las Dudas)
10. La Urgencia y la Vagancia (Rioba)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz