Villalobos Brothers

The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.
 
The ensemble’s virtuosic performances have delighted audiences throughout Latin America, India, Russia, Canada and in more than 30 states across the US. They have performed in historic venues and events including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Latin Grammy Awards, Davies Symphony Hall, Montreal Jazz Festival, the Ford Theatre in Hollywood, the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations, the New Victory Theatre on Broadway, San Jose Jazz Fest, Celebrate Brooklyn, the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City, the Blue Note Jazz Festival and the Apollo Theatre.
 
In 2018, they joined forces with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for the “Fandango at the Wall” project. This ambitious undertaking, produced by Kabir Sehgal, united legendary international musicians for a live concert at the Tijuana-San Diego border wall which resulted in a live album and documentary film by HBO released in 2019.
 
The Villalobos Brothers recently premiered their Symphonic Project, performing sold-out concerts with both the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the Walla Walla Symphony.
 
The ensemble has collaborated with legendary musicians including Grammy winners Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Antonio Sánchez, Regina Carter, Eduardo Magallanes, Dan Zanes, Sierra Hull, and Ana Tijoux.
 
The Villalobos Brothers are actively touring the United States, delivering a powerful message of love, brotherhood and social justice with brilliance, cadence and virtuosity.

Alberto Villalobos (Beto)
Besides playing violin, Beto enjoys painting, pottery, sketching, writing, and instrument building. He is happiest whenever he is at the sea or his hands are busy creating and building something.
He is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of (Brussels, Belgium) where he studied with Igor Oistrakh, but most of his education came from Carlos Marrufo (Mexico) and Elfego Villegas (traditional folk). Beto loves music from Veracruz (Son Huasteco, Son Jarocho) as much as free imporvisation and traditional Jazz. He practices yoga and loves to teach and share with family and friends. 

Ernesto Villalobos (Ness)
Ernesto moved to New York City at age 18, becoming the youngest person ever to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State. He holds advanced degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (USA), Keshet Eilon (Israel) and Bayerischen Musikakademie (Germany). He loves making friends and creating friendships wherever he goes. Ernesto has a love for writing, graphic design and he is happiest when living in the present moment with his family and friends.

Luis Villalobos (Wess)
Luis holds dual Master's Degrees from Berklee College of Music and the University of Freiburg (Germany). in 2019, thanks to his violin solos in Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars, he became the first musician from Latin America to be featured on the Boss' studio recordings. Luis dreams of a world where people can be more instead of having more. He does not believe in nations, race, socioeconomic classes, or any other artificial boundary that keeps humanity alienated. His music and lyrics aim to restore art as more than shallow entertainment. He is a Black belt in Karate-Do and enjoys reading philosophy, mysticism, and poetry. He is happiest setting new challenges for himself, traveling, and being absorbed in the process of making music.

Banner photo by Susan and Neil Silverman Photography