Flautist and Latin Grammy Award winner Nestor Torres has been captivating audiences with his distinctive mix of Latin, Jazz and Pop sounds for more than two decades. By transforming the flute’s role in the contemporary musical landscape, this remarkable virtuoso has earned a devoted following, and has practically established a new genre of popular music.

Torres was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He took flute lessons at age 12 and began formal studies at the Escuela Libre de Musica eventually attending Puerto Rico’s Inter-American University. At 18, he moved to New York, where he studied jazz and classical at the Mannes School of Music, and later at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. During this time he was able to develop his musical chops playing in Latin dance clubs, a scene in which he mingled with the likes of Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe and Tito Puente. During this early period, the young Nestor recorded 3 Solo albums: Charanga En Colombia, Afro Charanga Volume ll, and No Me Provoques.

He moved to Miami in 1981, and spent the next several years developing a grass roots following via his electrifying live performances in the South Florida club scene. The local demand for a recording eventually led to a record deal with PolyGram and the 1989 release of his debut album, Morning Ride.

In addition to his achievements in the studio and on the stage during the ‘90s, Torres also received two honorary doctorate degrees; one in 1994 from Barry University, and the other in 2000 from Carlos Albizu University, for his commitment to youth education and cultural exchanges.

In 2001, Nestor Torres won a Latin Grammy for his CD This Side of Paradise. It was a bittersweet victory, given the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington at the time. “It was a great honor and privilege to win the Grammy,” Torres reflects. “But the fact that I was to receive it on 9/11 gave my work and my music a stronger sense of mission and purpose. Terrorism and violence come from ignorance, anger, arrogance and hopelessness. Music and Culture inspire and empower. They soothe the human heart and enlighten the spirit. I have made it my prime point to create music and live my life as an artist and a human being in a way that does just that.” Nestor followed up his Latin Grammy win with My Alma Latina (My Latin Soul), which was nominated for the Grammy as well.

“Everything that I am as an artist and human being is expressed through the music in this recording. That is why Dances, Prayers & Meditations for Peace will always be a part of everything I do.”