Michael Pagán presents PAGANOVA
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Show starts at 3PM
Topeka Performing
Arts Center
About PAGANOVA
Put two monster saxophonists in front of a hot rhythm section – that's the Kansas City based quintet PAGANOVA . . . from straight-ahead swing to Latin, fusion, and a heavy dose of original tunes and innovative arrangements, this high-energy group is led by pianist/composer Michael Pagán, who writes most of the material for the group and features KC jazz scene veterans David Chael, Mike Herrera and Ray DeMarchi. Virtuoso electric bassist Louie Pagán adds fresh grooves to this formidable yet listener-friendly ensemble. Paganova’s 2024 release on Capri Records has received glowing reviews (including an indispensable rating from Paris Move). Their recent KPR live studio performance featured all new material and they can be heard regularly at the Westport Coffee House, the Blue Room, the 1909 Club and Jazzy B’s among other venues. Paganova was the featured cover story/review of JAM, the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors magazine. Paganova is pleased to be a part of the 2025 Topeka Jazz lineup and is ready to play!
About Michael Pagán
Raised in a musical family, Michael Pagán grew up listening to the styles of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Beethoven to name a few. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with an emphasis on piano\choral music and a Master of Arts in composition from Kent State University. He was a music theory student of Hugh A. Glauser and played piano in the new music ensemble under the direction of Frank Wiley and the jazz ensemble under the direction of Chas Baker. Mike played jazz piano and bass throughout Northeastern Ohio, eventually receiving his Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University.
He played piano in the NU jazz and contemporary music ensembles, both directed by Don Owens and continued piano studies with Laurence Davis. While in Chicago he was named a “musician deserving wider recognition” by Downbeat magazine. As a jazz pianist he has performed for over 40 years throughout the United States and in Europe with many notable jazz musicians. Ensembles he has performed with as a soloist include the Ashland (OH) Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, the Northshore Concert Band, and the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra of Denver. In 2017 he was a jazz soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and in 2019 with the Southeastern Louisiana University Jazz Ensemble. He has also played extended engagements aboard the historic steamboat Delta Queen on the Mississippi River, specializing in early as well as mainstream jazz. Since 2009 he has held an on-going Tuesday night solo engagement at Cafe Trio in Kansas City, MO.
