Jazz Poetry 2026: Spanish Pianist Marta Sánchez’s “For the Space You Left” & Poems by City of Asylum Writers-in-Residence

Photo Courtesy: Marta Sánchez

Jazz Poetry 2026 at City of Asylum continues with Spanish pianist Marta Sánchez’s official album release concert!

During periods of isolation and solitude, Marta composed her album, For the Space You Left. Shaped by two very different emotional landscapes, the music began in 2017 during a residency at MacDowell, where Marta applied with the intention of experimenting with piano preparation and confronting one of her long-standing fears: playing solo piano.

On her inspiration and composition of the album, Marta shared, “I had always been uncomfortable exposing myself alone at the instrument, and creating a solo project felt like the most direct way to face that fear and grow through it. At the time, I was interested in translating my compositional language—built around layers, interlocking rhythms, and counterpoint—into a single timbre. Preparation became the solution: by altering the piano’s sound, I could create multiple internal voices, transforming one instrument into a small ecosystem of contrasting textures.”

Her time at MacDowell was an intense and solitary experience, living alone in a remote cabin, surrounded by woods and snowstorms, often spending entire days without seeing anyone. That isolation, combined with a sense of vulnerability and self-doubt, deeply informed the music written there. The pieces from that period carry a quiet melancholy, fragility, and a raw openness which comes to life in this album’s live performance. 

In addition to celebrating the release of Marta’s album, this Jazz Poetry performance will feature collaborative, experimental performances with four City of Asylum Exiled Writers-in-Residence.

About the Artist:

Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, pianist and composer Marta Sánchez is actively working in the contemporary creative music scene in New York City and around the globe. Charting a significant path through her innovative and original music, she has reached an international audience, gaining significant global recognition. Marta’s main project, her quintet, was created soon after she moved to New York. She has since released four albums: Partenika (2015), Danza Imposible (2017), and El Rayo de Luz (2019). All of the albums received high praise from American press. Partenika in particular received great reviews from The New York Times, Downbeat, All Music, All About Jazz,and many more. In addition to her quintet, Marta recently released a new record with her trio, featuring Savannah Harris on drums and Chris Tordini on bass, titled Perpetual Void on the Intakt label. The album has been widely praised and received a 4.5 star rating from Downbeat. Marta has toured the United States, Europe, South America, and Central America. She has performed as a leader or as a sideman at prestigious venues and prominent festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Jazzaldia in San Sebastian, Inntone in Austria, Eurojazz in Mexico City, Eurojazz in Athens, Jazz Festival Vitoria Gasteiz, Winter Jazzfest in New York, and Madrid, among many others. Marta has been actively collaborating with other artists, playing and recording in David Murray’s Quartet, Maria Grand’s duo, and the Anna Weber and Angela Morris Big Band, among others. In 2017 and 2021 she received the prestigious grant for a residency from the MacDowell Colony, where Marta wrote prepared piano repertoire. 

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.