Colombo-Colonense drummer, percussionist, composer and educator Sebastian Garzon was born in Colombia raised in Colon, Panama. He performs, teaches, and writes with a passion about the Panamanian day-to-day life.

 

As an educator, he has been invited to teach throughout South America sharing music to students of all ages. Sebastian learned music can be a tool for social change while studying with Panama´s best educators at the Danilo Perez Foundation. During his years of study at the Foundation, he was selected as an Ambassador and worked with at-risk kids throughout the country. Garzon is available for lessons in theory, drum and percussion artistry, and ensemble coaching.

 

As a sought-after performer, he has been featured at the Nicaragua Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz festival, International Film Festival in Panama, and Fepece. Sebastian was also invited as a guest percussionist to play with the National Symphony of Panama. Currently he performs with his quartet, playing original music throughout New England and South America. He also has a solo project that includes visual projections and samples provided by Sensory Percussion.

 

As a composer, Sebastián Garzon’s music has been performed in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and the United States. He has written original scores for the short films La Vueltas al Sol and Mujeres, and has been commissioned to compose for the Ecuador Festival de Música de Guaranda and Dimenna Center in New York. His latest work, a string quartet about Panama’s 1989 US invasion, tells the story of three percussionists at different stages of their lives and premiered in Boston. His music has also been selected to participate with the Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá – Muestra de Compositores Panameños (2024–2025).

 

As a concert organizer he loves uniting people together to better educate audiences about Latin Heritage. Sebastian is producing an educational concert series about Latin American Heritage at the New England Conservatory. Through all genres of music, food, and conversation, he plans to unite NEC´s small Latin population and share their history with the student body.

 

Sebastian is a graduate of the Danilo Perez Foundation and has studied with master percussionists Jose del Pilar and Enrique Pla. in 2019 he graduated of the prestigious New England Conservatory in Jazz Performance, where he studied with Billy Hart, Bob Moses, John Lockwood, Miguel Zenon, Jerry Bergonzi, Jason Moran.