Faculty

Aarón Serfaty was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began playing the drum set at the age of 15 and started to play professionally at 17. He did extensive work as a session and touring drummer from 1980 until 1991 with local and international artists.

In 1991, he moved to Los Angeles to study Jazz and African American Studies at the California Institute of the Arts (Albert “Tootie” Heath, Joe LaBarbera). Serfaty has also taken lessons with Peter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, Jerry Steinholz and Juan Oliva.

Tours have included Arturo Sandoval’s European, Asian, and Latin American tours between 1991 and 1996, and Australian tour 1997. Jon Anderson’s 1993 Latin American tour, Larry Williams’ Japan tour 2003, Shelly Berg with the Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar, Caracas 2009.

Clinics and master classes include the Lima Jazz Festival in Peru (2006); First Latin American Drummers Festival in Caracas, Venezuela (2004); French Polynesia Conservatory of Music in Papeete, Tahiti (2005); Conservatorium Van Amsterdam (March 2018); and Amherst College (April 2018).

Aarón Serfaty taught at Los Angeles College of Music (1997-2014); The California Institute of the Arts (2000-2014); and is currently on faculty at the University of Southern California (1997-present) where he conducts the Latin Jazz Ensemble, teaches drum set, and a Latin Percussion class.