On the Road: Big Band Jazz, Latin Arrangements, and Military Pageantry Across Europe

Performing live on international stages is one of the most rewarding parts of my musical journey. Over the summer, my schedule took me through Lithuania, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, from high-energy big band jazz festivals and outdoor rock celebrations to historic military music pageantry.

June: Lithuania – From Telšiai to Klaipeda

The summer tour kicked off in Lithuania with two distinct performances alongside the NATO Jazz Orchestra.

Telšiai Concert: Our first stop was Telšiai, opening our summer lineup with energetic big band arrangements. Short video here!

Klaipeda Castle Jazz Festival: Shortly after, we moved to the coast to perform at Theatre Square for the Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival.

Our repertoire balanced timeless swing classics such as Duke Ellington’s "Rockin' in Rhythm" alongside two Latin big band arrangements I wrote for the ensemble: full-chart renditions of Celia Cruz's "Bemba Colorá" and "Quimbará."

Watch Bemba Colora! Click here

July 4th: 4th of July Celebration at SHAPE in Mons with TFX

For the 4th of July celebration at SHAPE in Mons, Belgium, I traded big band charts for a driving rock set. I took the stage with TFX to celebrate the holiday with live rock and pop hits for the military community on base.

For this performance, I ran MainStage mapped to an Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII controller, using custom patches and sound design I built to capture iconic rock and pop keyboard textures.

July: London Military Music Spectacular

Later in July, the road led to London for the Inspiring a Nation Military Music Spectacular at Horse Guards Parade. Performing with the NATO Jazz Orchestra on this historic stage was an incredible experience.

Our big band performance featured classic swing staples alongside my custom "Bemba Colorá" and "Quimbará" Latin arrangements, bringing explosive Afro-Cuban salsa rhythms to the ceremonial atmosphere at Horse Guards Parade.

In London, I also had the unique opportunity to join the full military bands as a pianist to perform selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber himself was present for the concert, joined by principal vocalists Samuel Wyn-Morris, Lily Kerhoas, and Kerry Ellis—who also delivered a show-stopping rendition of "Memory" from Cats.

End of July: Eksjö International Tattoo in Sweden

We closed the summer tour in Sweden at the Eksjö International Tattoo, performing in the town's historic central square.

Throughout the festival, we collaborated with The Stompers dancers from Belgium and performed in two complementary formats:

The NATO Jazz Orchestra: Serving as the main big band for central arena performances, sharing the stage with The Stompers for high-energy swing production numbers.

Watch the full concert from the piano perspective here!

The NATO Jazz Combo: Delivering intimate, small-group sets featuring classic jazz and Latin jazz standards—including "Jacob's Ladder," where I had the chance to perform a featured piano solo.

"JACOB'S LADDER" video here!

What’s Next?

Bringing music across borders and collaborating with international ensembles reinforces the universal language of live performance, whether it is a 19-piece big band delivering swing and Latin arrangements, a tight-knit jazz combo, or a rock group. Stay tuned for upcoming score breakdowns, audio clips, and video highlights from these summer sets!