patricia brennan tentet

Mexican born vibraphonist, marimbist, improviser and composer Patricia Brennan “has been widely feted as one of the instrument’s newer leaders,” observed The New York City Jazz Record. Patricia was recently named winner of the 2025 Vibraphonist of the Year award in the 73rd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll. Patricia has won the rising star vibraphonist award from DownBeat’s 70th (2022) and 72nd (2024) Critics Polls and was listed #4 vibraphonist of the year on the 71st (2023) & 72nd (2024) Critics Poll.

Patricia inherited a deep love and appreciation for musical tradition from both parents, and was exposed to the musical richness of her native Port of Veracruz in Mexico. She started studying music at four years old, playing Latin percussion alongside salsa records with her father and listening to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin records with her mother. Also, around the same age, she started playing piano, influenced by her grandmother who was a concert pianist.

At the age of 17, Patricia was selected from musicians all over the Americas to be part of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. During this time, she toured every country in the Americas and performed with renowned musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma and Paquito D’Rivera. Before moving to the U.S., Patricia was already performing with the top symphony orchestras in Mexico, such as Xalapa Symphony Orchestra and Minería Symphony Orchestra. Also, she had already won several awards in marimba competitions and young artist competitions in Mexico and abroad and was featured in the Líderes Mexicanos magazine in 2003. In 2004 she was accepted to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she was able to perform alongside high caliber musicians from all over the world and conductors such as Simon Rattle and Charles Dutoit. She also performed with the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra and other acclaimed new music groups such as members from Eighth Blackbird.

Patricia's search for freedom in her musical expression led her to find her voice through the vibraphone and mallet percussion in improvisational music and composition.

Patricia’s extensive sidewoman work includes the GRAMMY-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus, Matt Mitchell’s Phalanx Ambassadors, Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis, and GRAMMY-winning Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, among other groups and collectives. She has also collaborated with pianist Vijay Iyer as a member of Blind Spot with writer Teju Cole, Iyer’s large ensemble project Open City, and several small ensemble performances with renowned musicians including bassist Reggie Workman and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. Patricia’s own projects include the solo project MAQUISHTI, MOCH — a collaborative duo with percussionist, drummer, and turntablist Noel Brennan (Arktureye); MORE TOUCH — a quartet with Mauricio Herrera on percussion, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and Kim Cass on bass; the PATRICIA BRENNAN SEPTET, which features the rhythm section from More Touch and adding Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto and sopranino saxophones, and Mark Shim on tenor saxophone; TALAMANTI, a piano and mallet percussion duo with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier; and, OF THE NEAR AND FAR, a tentet comprised of a string quartet (Modney, Pala Garcia, Kyle Armbrust, Michael Nicolas), a jazz quintet (Miles Okazaki, Sylvie Courvoisier, Kim Cass, John Hollenbeck), and an electronic musician Arktureye. This ensemble is conducted by Eli Greenhoe.

Patricia has performed at venues such as Newport Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ, and Carnegie Hall, as well as international venues such as Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria; Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City; and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has also appeared on National Television, Public Radio, and the BBC radio show, Freeness, hosted by Corey Mwamba.

Patricia has appeared on numerous recordings from classical to improvised music, including an ECM recording with Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus called The Distance and a world premiere recording with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach on Ondine Records.

Patricia’s acclaimed debut solo album Maquishti, released on Valley of Search, was listed #4 on The New York Times 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2021. Patricia’s sophomore album, More Touch, released in November 2022 on Pyroclastic Records, received multiple accolades from critics. More Touch was included in several Best Jazz Albums of 2022 lists including NPR Music, Bandcamp, and PopMatters. The opening track, “Unquiet Respect,” from More Touch, was listed among NPR Music’s 100 Best Songs of 2022, a list featuring music from all genres and only including a handful of jazz artists. Patricia released her third album as a leader, Breaking Stretch, featuring the Patricia Brennan Septet on September 6, 2024 on Pyroclastic Records. Breaking Stretch received wide acclaim earning spots on multiple Best Jazz Albums of 2024 lists including The New York Times and NPR Music. Also, the track “Five Suns” from Breaking Stretch was listed on NPR’s Best Songs of 2024. In 2025 Breaking Stretch was named Album of the Year in the 73rd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll. Patricia will be releasing her fourth record featuring her latest project, Of the Near and Far, on October 24, 2025 on Pyroclastic Records. Also, Patricia recently recorded her duo project, Talamanti, with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, which is expected to be released in 2026.

Patricia Brennan is a Valley of Search artist, Pyroclastic Records artist, BlueHaus Mallets artist, and Audeze artist. Patricia is currently faculty at the Jazz Arts program at Manhattan School of Music, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and at the Jazz Studies program at NYU Steinhardt.