Boris Acosta-Jaramillo is a pianist, composer, educator, and researcher originally from Colombia and currently based in San Diego, California. A PhD candidate in music at the University of California San Diego, Boris specializes in the intricate dynamics of jazz improvisation, focusing on instrumental multivocality and its role in exploring cultural identities and histories as well as modes of interaction in improvisatory music.

He holds degrees from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and Queens College in New York, where he studied under renowned figures in jazz, including Danilo Pérez, Joanne Brackeen, George Garzone and Charlie Banacos. During his time in New York, Boris also composed music for award-winning theater productions, showcasing his versatility as a composer.
 

As a performer, Boris has appeared at prestigious events including the Blue Note Jazz Festival, the Shanghai Jazz Festival, and the Busan International Performing Arts Festival. His critically acclaimed album, Echoes of Origin, underscores his distinctive voice in contemporary jazz. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with legendary artists such as Henry Threadgill, Mark Dresser, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Chinese producer Yang Haisong, and vocalist Annie Chen, while also leading his own nonet. His work with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra as both a performer and arranger further highlights his ability to bridge jazz and orchestral traditions.

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As an educator, Boris served as an Assistant Piano Professor at Nanjing University of the Arts in China, where he developed a comprehensive jazz curriculum emphasizing global repertoire and cultural diversity. During his four years at the university, he played a key role in shaping its jazz studies program. Now based in San Diego, Boris is deeply committed to community engagement, designing outreach programs for underserved communities in collaboration with organizations such as the Media Arts Center San Diego and the International Rescue Committee.