Jorge Glem, a Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee, is a virtuoso of the Venezuelan cuatro, mandolinist, and producer — celebrated as one of Venezuela’s most treasured and innovative musical figures. Hailing from Cumaná, Venezuela and now based in the U.S., he has devoted his life to sharing the cuatro with the world and redefining its place in global music.

His extraordinary talent and sense of purpose have led him to perform solo concertos for cuatro with acclaimed conductor Gustavo Dudamel and world-renowned orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Notably, his performance with the Simón Bolívar Symphony at the Edinburgh International Festival received an exceptional standing ovation, as did his other appearances.

In January 2025, Glem completed a European tour with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. His most recent appearance with Dudamel followed months later, during the New York Philharmonic’s summer series across New York City.

That series also marked Glem’s official debut with the New York Philharmonic, as he performed across four of the city’s five boroughs alongside the acclaimed conductor. This milestone marked not only a career highlight but also a new chapter in his mission to share the cuatro with broader audiences in the U.S.

In September 2022, he joined celebrated multiple Grammy-winning composer and pianist Jon Batiste as part of his ensemble for the sold-out American Symphony concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Glem has shared the stage with globally recognized artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Jordan Rudess, Rubén Blades, Carlos Vives, Calle 13, Natalia Lafourcade, Gaby Moreno, Guaco, Desorden Público, Ensamble Gurrufío, Gualberto Ibarreto, Sofía Rei, Etienne Charles, and many more. Through these collaborations, he has fused the cuatro into genres ranging from jazz, salsa, and bluegrass to rock and pop.

In 2017, as part of his mission to raise awareness for the cuatro, Glem launched the social media movement #4CuatroMusic, which surpassed 1,000 posts in just three weeks. For Glem, the cuatro is far more than an instrument — it’s a vital part of his identity and a vehicle for his global artistic voice.

He is a founding member of the renowned group C4 Trío, winners of the Latin Grammy for the album Tembla, created in collaboration with Brazilian mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda. In 2020, C4 Trío was nominated for a U.S. Grammy for the album Tiempo al Tiempo, produced with acclaimed Nicaraguan salsa artist Luis Enrique. This nomination came after the group earned their second Latin Grammy — awarded in 2019 for Best Folk Album for the same project.

Jorge Glem has also been honored with awards such as El Silbón de Oro, Siembra del Cuatro, and three Pepsi Music Awards for his album En El Cerrito. With three solo albums under his belt,

he is currently collaborating with American accordionist Sam Reider, whose work blends jazz, bluegrass, and world music. Their joint album, Brooklyn-Cumaná, received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2023 for Best Instrumental Album.

He also performs in a duo with Cuban-Venezuelan pianist, composer, and arranger César Orozco, with whom he released the acclaimed 2019 album Stringwise.

Glem has participated in over 200 musical productions and continues to tour across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. He looks forward to many more collaborations that spotlight the iconic Venezuelan cuatro.