THOMAS BECKET
Musician
Pianist, composer, improviser
Jazz pianist, improviser and composer. Tomás Becket began his formal musical studies at the Taller de Músics of Barcelona, where he learned jazz piano, harmony, musical language, etc. At the same time, he studies classical music with private teachers, as well as attending various international jazz courses and seminars with teachers such as Chano Domínguez, Abe Rabade, Jordi Rossy, Seamus Blake, Perico Sambeat and Ze Eduardo, as well as various free improvisation courses with Agustí Fernández and composition with Roque Baños.
In Barcelona, he founded the trio that accompanies the Venezuelan artist Cecilia Bellorín, and is part of different jazz groups (“Tres quarts de swing”, “Jazz Locomotion Quartet”), playing in venues in Barcelona (Harlem jazz club, Pipa club , London Bar, etc.), as well as in various clubs in France and Holland.
He later resided in Valencia and Alicante where he was part of various jazz groups (“Jazz connection quintet”, “Julio Mendoza quartet”) playing at various festivals and clubs. He is also a member of “Afasa”, a Benin music group led by Kuami Mensha, with whom he performs at World Music festivals.
He is also part of the group of Spanish-Brazilian singer Javier Volar, performing in Morocco and Spain. In Morocco he collaborates with the Moroccan gnaoua-fusion group Kiff Samba and with the maalem Abderrazak Hadir and gets to know Gnaoua and Berber music more deeply.
During his stay in the Valencian Community he shared the stage with musicians of the caliber of Mario Rossy, Voro García, David Pastor, Jeff Jerolamon, Matt Baker, Jesús Santandreu, Catharina Wiborgh, etc.
In Valencia he created the show “Around a painting”, in which live music, the contemporary dance of Patricia Gracia, the painting of Francisco Hernández and the lighting of Ximo Díaz interact with each other, performing regularly through the SARC .
In 2013 he moved to northern Chile with his Chilean partner, where he works as a pianist in various groups, participating in festivals and concerts, both in Chile and Bolivia, and teaches workshops and classes in piano, improvisation and modern harmony.
On the other hand, he has developed extensive work as a teacher, teaching Piano-jazz, improvisation, harmony, and music history fundamentally, both individually and in various academies and music schools.
As an audiovisual composer he has done various works for short films and documentaries (“El Voto”, “Excusados”, “Flor de Invernadero”, “Do” etc.), for puppets (“L’Avetxutxu”), and for advertising.
In 2019 he moved to Barcelona and joined the group Gnawa Collective, led by Walid Mountassir, with whom he regularly performs at various festivals and clubs, and forms the group "Cuarteto Influenciado". He also resumes the project "Around a painting." He also does some free improvisation sessions with different musicians from this current.
He currently focuses on his own projects. He has just released a quintet album, End of Cycle, and is working on a trio project and other free improvisation projects.
In addition to his studies at the Taller de Músics, Tomás Becket has a degree in Music History and Sciences and a Master's degree in soundtrack composition from the ESMUC. He also has a Diploma in Agricultural Technical Engineering.