Drummer and composer, Mr. Villanueva holds a bachelor's and a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. He has played and/or recorded with several jazz, classical and pop artists from Mexico, Perú, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S. Among them are Stefan Karlsson, Lynn Seaton, Eddie Gomez, Fareed Haque, Ed Saindon, Ben Sidran, Liam Teague, Rodolfo Sanchez, Lee Tomboulian, Hiro Morozumi, Jangeun Bae, Carlos Guedes, Takayoshi Yoshioka, Jon Anderson, Carlos Prieto, Roberto Limón, Sandra Kaye, Carla White, Tony Monaco and the Spanish Pop singers Lucero, Shaila Durcal and Alejandro Fernandez.
As a composer, he has published several original compositions for jazz big band (ASCAP). As an educator Rodrigo has taught drum-set courses, clinics and workshops at many institutions in Mexico, Peru, Korea, Japan and the U.S., and has been featured artist/clinician at IAJE, JEN, PASIC and the Midwest Clinic. He is currently associate professor of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University where he teaches jazz drums, jazz arranging and directs the NIU Jazz Lab Band, winner of the first place at the 2010 and 2008 editions of the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Festival and 2012 Down Beat Students Awards. Rodrigo performs regularly with his jazz trio and quartet, the Eddie Gomez Trio, the NIU Jazz Faculty Group Nucleous, Liam Teague's Panoramic, Ben Sidran Jazz Quartet and the Jan Wheaton Quartet. He endorses Sabian Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, Latin Percussion instruments, Reunion Blues Cases and Evans Drumheads, in addition he is a member of Vic Firth's education team and he teaches at Birch Creek Percussion and Steel Pan Summer Program. In 2010 Rodrigo launched his own record label, the first production of this project is the Eddie Gomez Trio album: Live In Mexico City with the legendary Eddie Gomez on bass, Swedish pianist Stefan Karlsson and Rodrigo Villanueva on drums (© Jazzling Records 2010).
