Critically acclaimed guitarist and composer Gabriel Vicéns has been described as "a thoughtful improviser with a quiet tone who makes every note count" by Downbeat Magazine and as "an exceptional artist, with a shimmering sense of sonority and the ability to find a keen balance between poetry and intensity" by Latin Jazz Network. Originally from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Vicéns relocated to New York City after spending more than a decade performing and recording with his group and other top artists from the Puerto Rican jazz scene, as well as a four-year professorship at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
His body of work encompasses a diverse range of musical styles, including modern jazz, contemporary classical music, and experimental music. His compositions often explore themes of cultural identity, temporality, indeterminacy, and the art of improvisation. This exploration highlights Vicéns’ personal approach as both a composer and performer, showcasing his profound engagement with diverse musical landscapes.
He has been featured at various venues and festivals, including the Heineken Jazz Fest in Puerto Rico, SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, Ljubljana Jazz Festival in Slovenia, Uno Jazz San Remo Festival in Italy, and Havana World Music Festival in Cuba. He has collaborated with notable artists, such as Eddie Gómez, Miguel Zenón, Alex Sipiagin, John Benitez, Paoli Mejias, Luis Perdomo, David Sánchez, and Will Vinson, among others. In New York City, he has frequently performed at prominent venues such as The Cell Theater, Cornelia Street Cafe, Birdland Jazz Club, Teatro LATEA, Fat Cat, The Owl Music Parlor, and Terraza 7, both as a leader of his groups and as a sideman.
His debut album "Point In Time," independently released in 2012, features tenor saxophonist David Sánchez and legendary bassist Eddie Gómez, who praises Vicéns as "a creative musician that displays a new vision on the guitar." The release gained rave reviews in many jazz publications around the globe. World-renowned jazz critic and writer Bill Milkowski noted in JazzTimes magazine, “Guitarist-composer Gabriel Vicéns, a leading light of Puerto Rico’s jazz scene, flaunts a modernist sensibility on his impressive debut as a leader."
In 2015, Vicéns released his second studio album, "Days," on Greg Osby’s influential record label Inner Circle Music. The record was co-produced with trumpet giant Alex Sipiagin and features Sipiagin himself, David Sánchez, and percussionist Paoli Mejias. The recording also garnered acclaimed reviews, including 4 stars in Downbeat magazine and 4.5 stars in All About Jazz by music critic Mark F. Turner, who stated, “A rising jazz guitarist... Vicéns has provided a splendid recording that conveys a clear representation of his culture and individuality.”
Gabriel Vicéns’ third album, "The Way We Are Created,'' released in 2021 on Inner Circle Music, was co-produced with Puerto Rican saxophonist Miguel Zenón and explores a unique amalgamation of modern jazz with folkloric music from Puerto Rico. The record features some of today's most accomplished musicians in the New York City jazz scene: Roman Filiú on alto saxophone, Glenn Zaleski on piano, Rick Rosato on bass, E.J. Strickland on drums, and Victor Pablo on percussion. Music critic Roger Farbey from the British magazine Jazz Journal noted, “The meticulously constructed compositions benefit from canny arrangements utilising all the instruments in a perfectly balanced formation of tonality and harmonic colour.”
In addition to Vicéns’ releases as a leader, he is co-leader of the free jazz and experimental ensemble No Base Trio. Formed in collaboration with alto saxophonist Jonathan Suazo and drummer Leonardo Osuna in 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, No Base Trio has released two albums under the radical label Setola di Maiale. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2020, followed by their second studio album, NBT II, in 2022. Both records received praised reviews in prominent publications such as The Free Jazz Collective, Avant Music News, and Percorsi Musicali. Music critic Paul Acquaro observed, "It will pleasantly surprise you with its mix of melody and exploration."
In 2022, Vicéns went to the studio to record an album of original chamber works, including pieces for piano trio, wind quintet, and Pierrot ensemble. The record features some of the finest performers in the New York City classical scene and was released in Spring 2024 on the Milan-based record label Stradivarius. This is Vicéns’ fourth studio album under his name and the first one to highlight his work as a composer of contemporary classical music. Critic and musicologist Rob Haskins remarked, "All the works here are arresting ... The attention to propulsive rhythm, sometimes even pulse, puts Vicens in the orbit of today’s music."
Gabriel Vicéns earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Caribbean Music Studies and Performance from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, where he studied under Fernando Mattina and graduated summa cum laude as the first guitarist in the program. In 2017, he obtained a Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Performance from Queens College, studying with Paul Bollenback.
Between 2019 to 2021, Vicéns pursued studies in painting at The Art Students League of New York. During this period, he worked with color-field painter Pat Lipsky and occasionally assisted her in the studio.
In 2022, he received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies and Performance from Stony Brook University, under the mentorship of Ray Anderson. During his doctoral studies, Vicéns also focused on composition and worked closely with Daria Semegen. His academic pursuits emphasized the integration of modern jazz with Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena, as well as composing contemporary classical and experimental music. Additionally, he has pursued further composition studies with Carlos Cabrer, Lois V. Vierk, Marti Epstein, and Antoine Beuger.
Vicéns is currently working on two new projects that are scheduled to be recorded in 2025.
He is a recipient of the prestigious “New Jazz Works” grant from Chamber Music America, which he received in 2023.