Pianist and composer Elio Villafranca was born in the Pinar del Río province of Western Cuba and classically trained in percussion and composition at the Instituo Superior de Artein Havana. Since his arrival in the U.S. in late 1995, he has made an increasingly noteworthy career in the jazz and Latin jazz scenes on both the East and West Coasts. He opens the 2016 Noon Series with his jazz trio, including Peter Savlov on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums.