bio
New York native Adam Cordero is a saxophonist, bassoonist, clarinetist and composer, working at the intersection of modern jazz, electronics, and acoustic traditions. His work explores sound design, improvisation, and nature-inspired composition, often integrating effect pedals to expand the sonic possibilities of the woodwind family. Adam is also an active educator, teaching woodwinds, music theory, and composition to students throughout New York City and Long Island.
His dedication to music has led him to play at many established jazz venues in the NYC area such as The Jazz Gallery, Close Up, Nublu, Roulette Intermedium, Seeds:Brooklyn, Smalls Jazz Club, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Adam has also performed internationally at jazz venues and festivals in Switzerland, South Korea, and Japan. Adam’s career as a bassoonist led him to collaborate with avant-garde jazz legend and Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Threadgill on his multimedia project The Other One—performed and recorded live at Roulette Intermedium and released as an album. Adam has shared the stage with artists such as Morgan Guerin, Alfredo Colón, Emmanuel Michael, Ingrid Jensen, David Virelles, Craig Weinrib, Sara Schoenbeck and Tyshawn Sorey. Adam's duo album, recorded with guitarist Odin Scherer, Sonora, "explores musical landscapes, balancing robustness and fragility to evoke significant emotional responses" according to acclaimed reviewer Filipe Freitas at JazzTrail.
Adam holds a BFA degree from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He currently teaches a large studio of his own students privately and is an adjunct faculty member at The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. His students have achieved perfect & outstanding ratings at NYSSMA adjudications, and have participated in honor programs, such as NYSSMA All-State, NMEA All-County, NYSBDA, Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Programs, and LIYO. They have also received a range of awards, such as participation in YoungArts, Long Island Scholar Artists, and the Louis Armstrong Award.
In addition to building a career as an artist and educator, Adam is committed to fostering community within the modern jazz scene. He was a founding force behind Julian’s NYC, an underground music venue active from 2022–2024, and is currently a co-founder of Tidebloom Records, a genre-bending jazz label creating space for new voices, collaborations, and evolving approaches to the music.
Adam Cordero proudly endorses D’Addario Woodwinds and Ishimori Saxophones.