Alvaro Cardenas Jr began his musical career and saxophone studies at fourteen alongside his father Alvaro Cardenas Roman, a musician and composer. As a child, Alvaro liked The Glenn Miller Big Band, Sonora Matancera of Cuba, Pacho Galan Orchestra, and Lucho Bermudez of Colombia, amongst others. At sixteen, he began to play with various groups performing salsa music and music of northern Colombia. He also began to explore jazz concepts and the instrumental music of musicians such as Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Grover Washington Jr, Justo Almario, Paquito D'Rivera, Michael Brecker, and Bob Mintzer. These masters gave Alvaro many avenues of research, exploration and inspiration.

 

 

Fresh sound of Chinese jazz music, Zhang was graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and went to the New England Conservatory of Music as a student of Grammy Award winning pianist Fred Hersch, saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, guitarist Brad Shepik and Miguel Zenon. Moreover, he has performed with Donny McCaslin, Chris Potter, Nils Landgren, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Victor Wooten. In July 2015, Zhang was selected one of the world outstanding youth guitarists.