"Spiritual evolution has always been part of Israel Varela's artistic identity." A recording artist and winner of the Euro Latin Award, Israel Varela is one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. Over the last decade, he has been one of the most sought-after jazz/world/flamenco musicians in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and America. He has traveled extensively, sharing his music with audiences in over 30 countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, Italy, the United States, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Greece, Belgium, China, France, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Tunisia, Switzerland, Germany, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Jamaica, Portugal, Uruguay, Angola, the United Kingdom, Romania, Turkey, and Luxembourg. His originality and distinctive style have allowed him to perform with a multitude of renowned artists, such as: Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Mike Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Victor Bailey, Abe Laboriel, Pino Daniele, Diego Amador, Rita Marcotulli, Karen Lugo, Andrea Bocelli, Joaquín Cortés, Jorge Pardo, Richard Bona, Carles Benavent, Dwiki Darmawan, Kamal Musallam, Chano Domínguez, Markus Stockhausen, Andy Sheppard, Maria Pia De Vito, the OSEM Symphony Orchestra, the Baja California Orchestra, and Gary Willis, among many others. During his adolescence, he studied privately in Los Angeles, California, with Alex Acuña and Dave Weckl before moving to Italy in 2000. Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, he belongs to the fourth generation of a renowned Tijuana musical family. He grew up in an exciting musical environment, in a home where classical and sacred music were predominantly played. Varela remains faithful to his jazz and Latin roots, while at the same time, his flamenco and contemporary classical influences are reflected in each of his nine albums: *TIJUANA PORTRAIT* (2007), *BORDER PEOPLE* (2009), *ZAMAR* (2012), *INVOCATIONS* (2015), *COME SOPRA QUI SOTTO* (2018), *ISRAEL VARELA COLLECTION* (2018), *YIN AND YANG* (2019), and *THE LABYRINTH PROJECT* (2019).