“. . . if Wynton Marsalis says you’re good at the trumpet, then that’s a big deal.”
— The New York Times

“Kali's bristling tone and bilingual fluency has commanded attention in New York”
— The Wall Street Journal

“Trumpeter Kalí Rodríguez-Peña’s group is deeply rooted in the rhythmic-charged tradition of habanera, guaracha, danzón, rumba, and mambo. A thoughtful composer-arranger, potent soloist with a bold, bright tone, and savvy bandleader, Rodríguez-Peña’s group grabs listeners with infectious grooves as it provokes with heady harmonies and thrilling improvisations."
— Exit Zero Jazz Festival

Latin-Grammy nominated Cuban trumpeter and composer Kalí Rodríguez-Peña is one of the leading voices of a young generation of Cuban musicians living in New York City. His sound fuses the traditional motifs of his native Cuba with a passion for jazz classicism influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Freddie Hubbard.

Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Rodríguez-Peña was 14 years old when he caught the attention of multi-instrumentalist Bobby Carcassés, the world-renowned guru of Afro-Cuban jazz whose mentorship introduced him to the jazz idiom. After winning top prizes in important national jazz related events, he was awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he studied under the tutelage of Jon Faddis and Stefon Harris.

Since, Rodríguez-Peña has led his own bands in top venues and festivals in North America, and has also shared the stage with distinguished musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo O’Farrill, Michel Camilo, Esperanza Spalding, Miguel Zenón, David Murray, Anat Cohen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Cándido Camero, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi, and Olga Tañón, among others.

Rodríguez-Peña has been a finalist for the CINTAS Foundation Music Composition Fellowship (2024); was awarded Harlem Stage’s WaterWorks Emerging Artist Fellowship (2023), New Music USA’s Creator Development Fund Grant (2021), and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation Scholarship (2017); and was a finalist at the National Trumpet Competition (2016). His album Mélange (2022) was released under the Truth Revolution Records label, and its music is featured on the TV show Let The Right One In on Showtime. He also participated as a guest performer in GRAMMY-winning artists Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdés’ album Familia (2017), Michel Camilo's Essence (2019), and Pedrito Martínez’s Acertijos (2021). Rodríguez-Peña has also been a panelist at the Jazz Congress (2025), and a guest lecturer at the Louis Armstrong House Museum (2023-2024), the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (2022-2023), and at the University of California, Riverside (2014).