Olegario Díaz
Composer/pianist, Olegario Díaz was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Composition in 1978. Later, in 1986 he earned a Master's Degree in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He studied jazz piano and improvisation with Charlie Banacos, Ron Carter, Jaki Byard and Harold Danko. Olegario Diaz has performed as a pianist in the East and West Coast with artists such as Tito Puente,Willie Bobo, Celia Cruz, Mario Bauza Big Band, Paquito de Rivera, Louie Ramirez, Victor Paz and Daniel Ponce. For his SteepleChase debut album, he recorded with renowned musicians in the New York jazz scene: Rich Perry (tenor sax), Ron McClure (bass) and Billy Hart (drums). For his second, third, fourth and fifth SteepleChase albums, he reunited with artists like Randy Brecker, Lewis Nash, Ron McClure, Rich Perry, Alex Sipiagin, Seamus Blake, Scott Colley, Jeff “Tain” Watts, James Genus, Nate Smith, Bob Francechini and Bill Stewart.
Diaz lived in LA from 2018 to 2019, where he had the chance to perform with his jazz quartet with great personalities such as Justo Almario, Ralph Moore, Doug Webb, Bob Sheppard, David Robaire and Anthony Fung. He also participated at the Morelia Jazztival 2019 in Mexico with his quartet. Piano and Ensemble Faculty at the New Jersey City University since 2019.