Charlie Dennard interview by Fred Kasten on his Jazz New Orleans radio show at WWNO on FridayOct 4, 2019.

JNO PLAYER OF THE WEEK FEATURE: CHARLIE DENNARD

Charlie Dennard (b. Nov. 3, 1969) is a North American keyboardist, composer and arranger who is currently the musical director for Cirque du Soleil's "Totem". Over the last 20 years Charlie has performed and recorded internationally with a variety of jazz, blues and world music ensembles as well as theatrical productions. From 2002 to 2007 Charlie was the assistant bandleader and keyboardist for the Grammy nominated Cirque du Soleil show “Alegria” and with them successfully performed over 1,700 shows in 12 different countries. Before joining Cirque du Soleil, Charlie received his Masters Degree in Music from the University of New Orleans in 1998 where he was a jazz piano student of the legendary Ellis Marsalis and in 1992 Charlie earned his Bachelors Degree in Music Media and Industry from the esteemed University of Miami.