Riley Mulherkar

Riley Mulherkar is one of the brightest trumpet voices of the new generation – an artist who combines virtuosic precision with a deep, emotional tone that has already made him a favorite with audiences around the world. He is the co-founder of the critically acclaimed brass quartet The Westerlies, and he had his major breakthrough as a solo artist in 2024 with his debut album Riley, described by DownBeat as “über hip, modern yet timeless… one of the best debut records to come out in a long, long time.”

Growing up in Seattle’s unexpectedly rich jazz scene, it quickly became clear that Mulherkar was an exceptional talent. Under the guidance of legendary educators such as Robert Knatt and Clarence Acox, he developed a musicality and discipline that led him to The Juilliard School – where he soon found a musical home at Jazz at Lincoln Center and with its artistic director Wynton Marsalis, who has repeatedly highlighted him as one of his generation’s most promising trumpeters.

Since then, Riley has performed with artists such as Kenny Barron, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Anna Deavere Smith, and Alan Cumming, and in 2020 he received Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist Award for his work as “an original bandleader, composer, arranger, educator, community activist and advocate for jazz and the arts.”

The debut album Riley is a modern and cinematic exploration of the expressive possibilities of the trumpet – where Mulherkar’s melodic voice is placed in richly textured, detailed soundscapes created by producers Rafiq Bhatia (Son Lux) and Chris Pattishall. The result is a work that both honors and challenges the jazz tradition, where classics and new Mulherkar compositions gain new life in a contemporary, emotionally charged sonic universe.

When Riley Mulherkar comes to Moldejazz 2026, an evening of brilliance, warmth, and musical innovation awaits – one of the year’s major highlights for anyone who loves modern jazz at its most vibrant.

Lineup: Riley Mulherkar – trumpet, Chris Pattishall – piano, Barry Stephenson – bass, Jason Burger – drums

Concerts in our main program last between aprx. 60 to 90 minutes.
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