Born in Venezuela, Francisco (Fran) Vielma has received multiple awards and honors, and his first album “Inesperado” was part of a catalog for the record label Cacao Music along with productions of international artists such as Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Jose Luis Quintana “Changuito,” Bolivar Soloist, Orlando Poleo, and Negroni’s trio among others. Fran Vielma’s most recent album “Tendencias” with his Venezuelan Jazz Collective features some of the most important figures of the jazz scene in the world such as Luis Perdomo, Michael Rodriguez, Miguel Zenón, Ángel Subero, Roberto Koch, and Pablo Bencid. His versatility as a percussionist, arranger, and orchestrator of different genres from Caribbean and Afro-Venezuelan to Jazz, world, and concert music has involved him in recording projects, tours, and festivals with renowned musicians throughout the world. His scholarly interests have immersed him in the study of musics of the world, which he has taught at Salem State University, MA. He has offered seminars, lectures, and master classes at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, BELL-Building Educated Leaders for Life Summer Camp, DC Youth Orchestra, The Andes University and Caracas Jazz Workshop in Venezuela, and at The Panama Jazz Festival. He has been an artist resident at Baltimore School for the Arts and Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra.