Danilo Pérez Premieres New Work Honoring Architect Frank Gehry
Danilo Pérez, founder and artistic director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute
Image by Pete Coco
As part of this year’s Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, the organization commissioned Berklee Global Jazz Institute founder and artistic director Danilo Pérez to compose a new work honoring visionary architect Frank Gehry, who died in 2025 at age 96.
The competition, chaired and hosted by jazz legend Herbie Hancock ’86H, is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious in the world, and took place outside the United States for the first time at Fondation Louis Vuitton, an art museum and cultural center in Paris. Designed by Gehry, the futuristic glass building features the architect’s signature abstract, deconstructivist style.
Pérez paid tribute to Gehry with the world premiere of "The Ever-Changing World" during the competition’s gala concert on October 11.
“I wanted to capture the museum’s movement and fluidity—not simply describe its appearance, but discover its spirit,” Pérez said.
Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, a landmark building designed by Frank Gehry
Image by Iwan Baan
Pérez started by watching interviews with Gehry as the architect spoke about creating Fondation Louis Vuitton. “I was fascinated by the rhythm and cadence of Frank’s voice. As I listened to him speak, I began to hear music in his words,” he said.
His connection to Gehry began in Pérez’s native Panama, where he composed music for the grand opening of Gehry’s Biomuseo (Museum of Biodiversity) in Panama City. Later, Pérez rehearsed at Gehry’s home in Santa Monica, California, for the opera Iphigenia, which he said helped him appreciate how the architect thought about space, movement, and creative expression. (The opera, which was composed by Wayne Shorter ’99H with libretto by alum esperanza spalding BM ’05, featured Pérez as pianist and Gehry as set designer.)
To compose "The Ever-Changing World," Pérez brought together influences from classical music, jazz, Panamanian traditions, and West African rhythms through a chamber jazz ensemble. “I also translated a rectangular shape from his museum’s architectural design into musical pitches, using the circle of fifths and geometry as a starting point for musical exploration,” he explained.
The piece is meant to put global jazz and architecture in conversation. “I hope listeners experience a constantly evolving journey, where the music opens doors to new possibilities,” Pérez said.
Introduced by renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the ensemble featured Pérez on piano along with Berklee-affiliated artists Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), artistic director/founder of Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice; Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone), chair of the Woodwinds Department; and John Patitucci (upright bass), visiting scholar in performance studies.
