Hector Martignon  Hector Martignon is a Colombian pianist and composer of Italian descent living in New York City. Two of Martignon's albums have been nominated for a Grammy Award: Refugee (2007) and Second Chance (2010). Martignon is known for crossbreeding the improvisational language of Jazz with diverse musical idioms, such as Classical European, Latin American folklore and World Music. On its exhibit Latin Jazz, the Smithsonian Institution lists Martignon among the leading artists “exploring the regional sources of Latin Jazz”. At age 18, Martignon abandoned his engineering studies in Colombia in order to formally study music in Germany, where he attained a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, under Robert-Alexander Bohnke. There he received instruction from Swiss composer Klaus Huber on the rudiments of composition and instrumentation, attending related Seminars and Master Classes from the likes of György Ligeti, Luigi Nono and Luciano Berio, who routinely taught in Freiburg on their way to nearby Donaueschingen Festival and Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music. He was awarded a master's degree at Manhattan School of Music, studying Jazz Piano with Kenny Barron and Classical Piano with Solomon Mikowsky. There he attended composition courses with Czech composer Ludmila Ulehla. During his studies, Martignon backed Salsa singers like Celia Cruz, Ismael Miranda and Pete “Conde” Rodriguez on their European tours, mostly in US Army bases in Germany. His first professional recording was with Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis on his "Canto General". Moving to New York city in 1989, Martignon joined both the Salsa band and the Jazz ensemble of Ray Barretto, New World Spirit, from 1990 to 1998, contributing compositions and arrangements, as well as keyboard work, to 5 albums, including the Grammy-nominated "My Summertime" (1995). (John Storm Roberts, Latin Jazz, , pages 222, 230). Martignon also toured with Mongo Santamaría, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre, Paquito D’Rivera, Don Byron and was invited to perform with Max Roach  "Project America" featuring Tito Puente. In 1996 Martignon started in earnest a dedicated solo career, performing in music festivals, theaters, clubs and colleges worldwide, releasing in 1997 a first of six albums as a leader, "Portrait in White and Black" (John Storm Roberts, Latin Jazz, , page 242) featuring Barretto and Donny McCaslin.