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Winner of the Louis Applebaum Composers Award and Nominee for the Canadian Screen Award 2021 (Achievement in Music Original Song), Hilario Duran is well-recognized for his piano playing and composing skills.

The Cuban-born grew up in Havana in a musical family surrounded by various musical influences. His first work as a professional musician was in Cuba’s Los Papa Cun-Cun Ensemble.

Later, in the ’70s, he was Chucho Valdés’ chosen successor in Cuba’s most modern big band,
‘Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.’ Hilario was also a pianist, arranger, and composer of the Arturo Sandoval Group. In 1990 he was the band’s Director of the group Perspectiva, formed with Arturo’s band’s remaining members when Sandoval immigrated to the U.S.

After making his mark in Cuba, Duran immigrated to Canada and essayed his skills as a pianist, producer, composer, arranger and musical Director of remarkable virtuosity. Since then, he has made a name for himself. Hilario Duran is a multi-Canadian Juno Award winner and nominee; an American Grammy nominee; a multi-Canadian National Jazz Award winner & nominee; and the proud recipient of the 2007 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award from Latin Jazz U.S.A. for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz.

Duran also has been recognized as the winner in the Latin Jazz category of the Latin Awards Canada 2020, 6th Edition. In addition, as Director of the company ES MI MUSICA PRODUCTIONS, created in 2005, he won the Latin-American Award “Premio a la Trayectoria” for his work as an entrepreneur.

Hilario Duran is one of Cuba’s premier Latin Jazz exponents and a fixture on the Toronto music scene. He immigrated in 1998 to Canada and was named One of the Ten Most influential Hispanic Canadians in 2009.

A classically trained, Duran’s art form describes all musical elements from his ancestors; the originality and quality of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz music greatly influenced Hilario’s musical career.