Silvano Monasterios Pianist-composer Silvano Monasterios was born in Caracas, Venezuela. After years of training at the Jose Angel Lamas Conservatory, he began his professional career at the age of 18, already having become experienced in a wide variety of musical genres by performing and recording with some of the most prominent Venezuelan artists. In 1989, he traveled to Miami, Florida to participate at the Miami Jazz Festival, where he received a “Best Soloist Award”. In 1990, he immigrated to The United States where he received a scholarship from Miami Dade Community College. After obtaining an “Outstanding Soloist Award” at the University of Colorado in 1991, Silvano received a music scholarship from the University of Miami, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1995. Silvano has performed with a number of important of artists including Ira Sullivan, Terumasa Hino & the World Jazz All-Stars, Othello Molineaux, Dave Liebman, Melton Mustafa, Marc Johnson, Donald Byrd, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Nathen Page, Randy Brecker, Sammy Figueroa, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Shakira, David Lee Roth, and Nestor Torres. In 1998, Silvano was voted “New Artist of the Year” at the “Hennessey Cognac Jazz Search” in New York City. 1998 also marked the release of his first CD, Roads Not Taken, which received outstanding reviews in the U.S. and Latin America. Unfulfilled academic aspirations led Silvano to return to the University of Miami where he earned his Master’s Degree in Jazz Piano and Pedagogy in 2004. DownBeat Magazine honored Silvano as the winner of its “Best Jazz Instrumental Soloist Award” in the Annual 28th (2005) Student Music Awards. A particularly gifted composer, he also won in the category of “College Original Song Outstanding Performance” for his composition “Avila.” In February 2006, his new recording entitled Fostered was released. Fostered features all original compositions, including “Avila”, mentioned above. - Reviews Getting Personal College is a time when teachers and mentors have a profound influence, and self-motivating soloists discover that when it comes to learning what to improvise, the sky’s the limit. Last spring, Silvano Monasterios played piano with the University of Miami Bebop Ensemble, a small group that focused on student compositions, time playing, use of motives in solos interaction. A Jazz Pedagogy Master’s student at the Coral Gables, Fla., school at the time, Monasterios has since graduated, and he continues to write original music, embark on new projects and drive his solos to new heights. “Silvano has gone beyond the stage of imitating others, and his personal compositions demand unique approaches to soloing,” said ensemble director Phillip Strange. “He has his own style and musical ideas, which I tried to support and develop as organically as possible. I worked with him to develop dynamic contrast and shape in his compositions, and realize these dynamics in the group performance. We worked a lot on time accuracy in the group, as many of Silvano’s compositions use odd meters. “At times, I made various comments relating to over-pedaling and overly loud left-hand comping,” Strange continued. “I also insisted on motivic soloing to achieve a continuity of ideas. Silvano is always a pleasure to hear, and audiences love his rhythmic vitality and inventively mellifluous melodic lines.” When it comes his turn to blow, Monasterios tries to look at the big picture. “I want to develop a solo that will make sense in its totality,” he said. “I try to use some rhythmic and melodic elements from the actual composition and make them my own by freely changing them in any way I choose. I enjoy the challenge of attempting to create new melodies during the solo, as well as pushing the envelope rhythmically.” In addition to his teacher, Vince Maggio, Monasterios has absorbed the influence of a long list of piano giants, most noticeably Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans. “Latin and South American rhythms have played a big role in what I attempt to do as well;” he said. “Lately, I can’t have enough of Monk and Brahms.” Ed Enright, Downbeat Magazine Silvano Monasterios Edición Nº 10 Fostered 2006 Quienes tuvimos y/o han tenido el gusto de conocer la trayectoria de Silvano, de haberlo escuchado en tantísimas de sus participaciones con diferentes artistas variopintos, de múltiples estilos y géneros, no podemos evitar el notar el crecimiento y la consolidación como compositor y arreglista de este notable y desarrollado pianista venezolano. Sabíamos de su propuesta de su gusto personal por un jazz de estilo muy directo y singular, desde su participación, no hace mucho tiempo con el Bop Brother Ensamble. Esta obra suya, este CD “Fostered”, nos deja ver una excelente propuesta a partir de sus composiciones las que nos permiten entrever siempre esa influencia venezolana, esos sonidos característicos que “aparecen” al oído atento en un conjunto de temas consistentes y muy bien ejecutados. Un jazz contemporáneo de líneas muy particulares en donde por afinidad cualquiera esperaría un sonido más latino y, paradójicamente (aunque muy bien resuelto y presentado) Silvano nos muestra su arte inspirado, en un trabajo muy destacado. Jairo Rocha / Enclave de Jazz / Montevideo, Uruguay Silvano Monasterios Fostered 2006 Para oídos inquietos. La música nunca es de un lugar ni tiempo concreto, sino de donde se siente y se hace. 
Silvano Monasterios - Fostered. Cuando oí hablar hace unos años de Silvano Monasterios, pensé: otro talento venezolano que se apunta a la moda. Para entonces, gozaba de gran demanda como pianista acompañante de Franco De Vita, Frank Quintero y Yordano, entre otros. Pero, con el tiempo, pude comprobar con regocijo que, como en otras ocasiones, me había equivocado; que Monasterios no era otro del montón, ni de esas perpetuas promesas que transitan sin rumbo fijo, sin saber conjugar ficción y realidad, tradición y actualidad, sin que pierdan un gramo de autenticidad. Los buenos músicos, al igual que el oro en polvo, sólo requieren tiempo para aumentar su valor, y Monasterios, a sus 41 años, ha sabido sacarle provecho a todo lo aprendido. Radicado en Estados Unidos desde comienzos de los 1990s, lleva bastante tocando en diversos países y en grabaciones como la que ahora nos ocupa, donde demuestra que ha sabido crecer sin tener que hacerse mayor. Y lo hace con su piano y sus composiciones, huyendo de los artificios y aventurándose por un sonido categórico, propio de los quintetos de jazz (trompeta, saxofón, piano, contrabajo y batería), esmerándose en conciliar sus raíces y experiencias sin malgastarse en esfuerzos inútiles. El título de su disco proviene del vocablo Foster, que en castellano refiere a todo aquel que temporalmente acoge a un niño en su seno, sin adoptarlo legalmente, así como a quien fomenta esperanzas, abrigo, sueños, realizaciones. Entre 2002 y 2004 Monasterios formó parte del Bop Brothers Ensamble, conducido por Vince Maggio, su maestro, mentor y amigo, a quien va dedicada la producción. De allí que la gratitud se comprima en una simple palabra: Fostered. 
Estamos ante un trabajo producido en un gran momento de inspiración, imprescindible para todo amante del jazz universal, e indicado para los que quieran adentrarse en el seductor mundo de Silvano Monasterios, uno de los músicos venezolanos más respetados en tierras ajenas. Alberto Naranjo / Música de la ciudad / El Mundo / Caracas, Venezuela