"My inspiration stems from the unspoken connection between musician and audience. I aim to freeze the profound emotion of a live performance, so its spirit can be felt long after the final note fades."
Adriana Mateo is an award-winning jazz photographer, documentarian, and storyteller. Based in New York City since 1990 and a graduate of New York University, she has dedicated her career to capturing what cannot be heard — the invisible conversation between musician, instrument, and audience.
A second-generation filmmaker, Adriana transitioned from feature films to focus her lens on the soul of jazz. She served as personal photographer for NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, and Roy Hargrove. Her foundational project, AM JAZZ: Three Generations Under My Lens, is preserved in permanent museum collections — making her the first female contemporary jazz photographer to have her work acquired by a museum.
Honored by the Jazz Journalists Association with Photographer of the Year 2019 and Lifetime Career Excellence in Photography 2024. Exhibited at The Juilliard School, New York 2026.
Accepting inquiries for lectures, exhibitions, and commissions across the U.S. and abroad : adrianamateo@gmail.com
adrianamateo@gmail.com
AWARDS
2024 - Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Photography, Jazz Journalists Association, USA.
2019 - Best Photographer of the Year & Photo of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association.
2019 - Finalist, World Jazz Photo Competition, Prague, Czech Republic (Awarded with Exhibition).
EXHIBITIONS
2026- THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL OF MUSIC ‘GENERATIONS IN JAZZ :The Bridge between The Masters and The Future”, NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
2025- ASOCIACION PESTALOZZI, Educational Exhibit”, Buenos Aires, Argentina: AM Jazz “Three generations Under The Lens”: This is an educational exhibition, the "Pestalozzi Association" , an Argentine prestigious educational institution rooted in the pedagogical ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi who was a Swiss pedagogue known for his focus on education for developing teaching methods that sought the holistic development of children.
2024 - ESPACIO HUSSEK ART GALLERY, Buenos Aires, Argentina: SOLO EXHIBIT “NEW YORK JAZZ GENERATIONS.”
2023 - BEBOP JAZZ CLUB, Buenos Aires, Argentina: SOLO EXHIBITION OF ROY HARGROVE “Una Mirada.”
2019 - FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay: Exhibition & book presentation in South America.
2018 - BAYERISCHEN-HOF HOTEL, Munich, Germany: Solo exhibition.
2018 - MUSEO di PALAZZO della PENNA, Perugia Umbria, Italy: Solo exhibition.
2017 - MUSEUM PALAZZO DELLA PENNA, Perugia, Italy: "L'Immagine del Suono” exhibition.
2017 - WBGO Jazz Public Radio from the Jazz Capital of the World, New York City, USA: "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" exhibition.
2016 - NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL, Newport, USA: AM JAZZ “Three Generations Under The Lens" book presentation.
2016 - THE JAZZ GALLERY, New York, USA: "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" book release and exhibition.
2015 - PALAZZO MORONI, COMUNE DI PADOVA, Padova, Italy: "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" book release and exhibition.
FIRST EXHIBITION OF A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF ROY HARGROVE ( 1966-2018) , BEBOP CLUB, BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
2024 JAZZ JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY