quotes

“Wellmann’s sparkling, clear tones dance”

All About Jazz

“Mario is a technically brilliant, yet also deeply musical guitarist. Every time I hear him, he sounds better than the time before. He also writes intricate, engaging, and yes, deeply musical compositions.”

Davy Mooney (Brian Blade, John Pizzarelli)

"Mario is one of the smartest people I know, and it comes through his music with clarity and elegance."

Noel Johnston (Kenny Wheeler, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano)

"[...] a master of tone, touch and taste. His guitar playing combines both the complexities of jazz and the soulfulness of blues to give him an amazingly compelling and captivating sound.”

Quincy Davis (Benny Golson, Christian McBride, Aaron Parks, Roy Hargrove).

BIO

Mario Wellmann is a Chilean jazz guitarist, composer and music theorist whose music connects contemporary jazz with the rhythms, places and memories of Chile. He has performed across the Americas and Europe, including Blues Alley, The Django, Jazz Forum, Elkhart Jazz Festival and Sala Master, and has shared stages with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg and Alison Wedding.

His recording credits include Alexa Torres Quartet’s In Situ, which he co-produced and contributed to as guitarist and composer, and albums with the Simeon Davis Group, UNT Latin Jazz Lab and UNT Jazz Singers. His composition “Consolidation” was featured in Strings Magazine. West Mulberry Trio, which he co-led, and UNT Latin Jazz Lab received DownBeat Student Music Awards in 2022.

A Columbia University PhD candidate in Music Theory with a master’s in neuroscience, Wellmann brings music, memory and learning into his research and teaching. His debut as a leader, Ecos del Sur, co-produced with Grammy-winning engineer Joseph Branciforte, is scheduled for release on December 4, 2026.

Short bio

Mario Wellmann is a Chilean jazz guitarist and composer whose performances span the Americas and Europe. He has shared stages with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg and Alison Wedding, and contributed to four albums as a sideman. His composition “Consolidation” was featured in Strings Magazine. His debut as a leader, Ecos del Sur, co-produced with Grammy-winning engineer Joseph Branciforte, is scheduled for release on December 4, 2026. Wellmann is a Columbia University PhD candidate with a background in neuroscience.

Long bio

Mario Wellmann is a Chilean jazz guitarist, composer and music theorist whose work connects contemporary improvisation with place, memory and his Chilean roots. Born in Chillán, he came to jazz through rock, metal and fusion. His playing combines lyrical melody with contemporary harmony and an interest in the guitar’s expressive range.

Wellmann has performed across the Americas and Europe at venues including Blues Alley, The Django, Jazz Forum, An Die Musik, Monks Jazz and Sala Master. He appeared at the 2025 Elkhart Jazz Festival with Alexa Torres Quartet and has shared stages with Kurt Elling, Sinne Eeg and Alison Wedding. He also co-leads Torres & Wellmann, whose Reconstruction project has toured the United States and Chile.

His recording credits include In Situ with Alexa Torres Quartet, Of Narratives & Nocturnes with the Simeon Davis Group, I Carry Your Heart with UNT Jazz Singers, and 5th Harvest with UNT Latin Jazz Lab. On In Situ, he contributes as guitarist, composer and co-producer. His composition “Consolidation,” inspired by the formation of long-term memories, was featured in the July–August 2024 issue of Strings Magazine. His work has also appeared on TVN’s Cultura y Espectáculos. West Mulberry Trio, which he co-led, and UNT Latin Jazz Lab received DownBeat Student Music Awards in 2022.

Wellmann holds a BM in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, an MSc in Neuroscience from Universidad de Valparaíso, and MA and MPhil degrees in Music from Columbia University, where he is a PhD candidate in Music Theory. His research and teaching connect jazz, cognition and evidence-based learning.

His debut as a leader, Ecos del Sur, is scheduled for release on December 4, 2026. Co-produced with Grammy-winning engineer Joseph Branciforte and supported by Chile’s Fondo de la Música, the album draws on journeys through south-central Chile and memories of home.