MIGUEL DE LA CERNA
A first-call music director and arranger, a prolific performer, and an influential educator,
Miguel de la Cerna is recognized as one of the most versatile pianists working today. A
Chicago native, de la Cerna is the third generation in a distinguished lineage of Chicago
piano jazz greats: his grandfather, pianist General Morgan, accompanied and recorded
with both Billie Holliday and Henry “Red” Allen, and recording artist Gloria Morgan was
de la Cerna’s aunt. After studies at the American Conservatory of Music and Oberlin
Conservatory, de la Cerna toured the US, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and
Asia for more than a decade as pianist and conductor for various ensembles and theatrical
productions before resettling in Chicago. Theater and conducting highlights include
musical direction and arrangements for international tours and productions of Bubblin’
Brown Sugar, Blackbirds of Broadway, and From My Hometown.
Known especially for his sensitive work with singers, de la Cerna tours frequently and has
recorded extensively in his role as music director and arranger for vocalists Dee Alexander,
Bobbi Wilsyn, and Maggie Brown, among many others. A frequent collaborator with some
of the world’s most celebrated jazz masters, de la Cerna’s breadth also spans classical and
world music. An accomplished composer, he has twice been commissioned by Chicago’s
innovative contemporary classical quintet, the Orion Ensemble. Recently his piano
composition ‘3 Children’s Songs for Left Hand Only” was featured in the award winning
Kartemquin film documentary “For The Left Hand.”
Miguel de la Cerna shapes a new generation of young musicians and singers as theater
music director for the University of Chicago Laboratory School , and also serves as music
director for the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s eclectic JazzCity concert series, bringing jazz
and world music to concert venues and neighborhoods throughout Chicagoland.
