TÚPAC MANTILLA GÓMEZ
Performer / Educator / Rhythm Coach / Speaker
Founder of R.I.T.M.O. & CEO of PERCUACTION
ABOUT TÚPAC
Túpac Mantilla holds degrees in classical, world and Indian percussion studies from Javeriana University (Bogotá, Colombia), the New England Conservatory (Boston, U.S.A.) and Harvard University (Cambridge, U.S.A.). His performance activity includes regular appearances at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center, as well as festivals such as Montreux, Newport and North Sea Jazz, and collaborations with artists like Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, Zakir Hussain, and Julian Lage, with whom he was nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for best contemporary Jazz Album.
He regularly teaches and gives lectures and residencies at educational institutions such as Stanford University, New York University, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. In 2012 he founded PERCUACTION (www.percuaction.com), an organization that develops and runs rhythm oriented artistic and social programs around the world, through an innovative rhythm curriculum, which in 2020 surpassed a teaching coverage in Colombia of 200.000 children. He is the founder of the Youth Education Program at the Panama Jazz Festival and the director of the World Rhythm Program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop since 2016. In 2020 he joined the Faculty at the Summer Educators Program at Carnegie Hall in New York City, recognition that goes along with nominations as a 'Rising Percussion Star' by Downbeat Magazine in recent years.
In 2023, Túpac had the honor to be invited by the legendary Tabla Master Ustad Zakir Hussain to join his world-renowned Masters of Percussion project, wich toured extensively in Canada and the United States.
STUDIES
2005 – 2007 Master of Music in Contemporary Improvisation
Sep. – June Emphasis in World Percussion and Drums / Graduate
Degree with Honors
New England Conservatory of Music. Boston MA, U.S.A.
2005 – 2006 Indian Music Studies
Oct. – May Classes with emphasis in Indian Tabla
Harvard University – Sangeet Music School Cambridge MA.
1998 – 2003 Master in Music
Jan. – June Emphasis in Classical Percussion
Undergraduate Degree with Honors
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá, Colombia
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Since 2020 Carnegie Hall – Faculty Member
Music Educators Program / Core Faculty Member
Summer Program - New York City, NY - U.S.A.
2018 - 2019 New York University
Artist - teacher in residence. Clive Davis Institute
New York City, NY - U.S.A.
2011 - 2019 Stanford Jazz Workshop
Teacher / Artist in residence
Stanford University - Stanford, CA. U.S.A.
2014 - 2016 Berklee College of Music
Teacher / Artist in residence. - Boston MA, U.S.A.
2015 - 2016 New England Conservatory
Teacher / Artist in residence. - Boston MA, U.S.A.
2010 – 2012 Panama Jazz Festival
Director of Education - Youth Program
Panama City – Panama
Since 2012 PERCUACTION - Global Percussion Network
To present Artistic Director and Founder
Bogotá – Colombia / New York –U.S.A.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Túpac is a proud recipient of awards and recognitions including:
2023 - Joined Ustad Zakir Hussain's Masters of Percussion Project.
2019 - 2022 - Included in the list of 'Rising Percussion Star' by Downbeat Magazine.
2020 - Selected as a Core Faculty Member for the Summer Education Teachers Program as Carnegie Hall. NYC (U.S.A.).
2017 - ECHO Jazz Award nomination for Ulita Knaus' 'Love in this Time' Album.
2012 - ECHO Jazz Prize (Germany) for Julian Lage Group's album "Gladwell".
2010 - Grammy Nominated Artist for Julian Lage Group's album "Sounding Point".
2009 - Carnegie Hall/ Weill Institute winner of the 2009 Zakir Hussain's Training Workshop.
2007 - NEC Selected Jazz Ensemble for the 2007 Panama Jazz Festival, Panama.
2006 - Donald & Alice Noble Scholarship. Boston, MA.
2005 / 2006 - NEC Wild Card Honors Ensemble Winner. Boston, MA.
2005 - Academic Excellence Award (PUJ). Bogota, Colombia.
2003 - Colfuturo Award scholarship. Bogota, Colombia.
2002 / 2003 - Selected Percussionist and Soloist for the Pergine Spetacolo Aperto Orchestra. Trento, Italy.
2002 - Bogotá's Philharmonic Orchestra Young Classical soloist Competition. 1st Prize recipient.
1997 - LOUIS ARMSTRONG Jazz Award (SWHS) Hanover, Pennsylvania (USA)
FEATURED PRESS
LEIPZIGER VOLKSZEITUNG
Bobby Mcferrin duo show - Article
EL ESPECTADOR - Newspaper
Fosbo-Sinfónica - Article
SIEGEN PRESS
Ulita Knaus Show - Review 2
EL TIEMPO - Newspaper
Tupac Mantilla "ONE" article
SIEGENER ZEITUNG
Ulita Knaus show - Review 1
HARMONY JAPAN - Magazine
Tupac Mantilla ONE's Article
