aquito also keeps busy by frequently touring around the world with his ensembles: the Chamber Jazz Ensemble, the Paquito D'Rivera Big Band and the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet, and in the 2005 begins touring with the guitar duo of Sergio and Odair Assad, in "Dances from the New World" In his quest to bring the Latin repertoire into the forefront of the classical arena, Paquito has successfully created, championed and promoted all types of classical compositions! , including three chamber pieces composed by Paquito, recorded by Yo-Yo Ma and Paquito, live at Zankell Hall, Carnegie Hall, September, 2003.

In addition to his extraordinary performing career as an instrumentalist, Paquito has rapidly gained a reputation as an accomplished composer. His works often reveals his versatility and widespread influences, which range from Afro-Cuban to the dance hall, to influences encountered in his many travels, and back to his classical origins.

In 2002, The National Symphony Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic commissioned Paquito, to write a concerto "Gran Danz?n" (The Bel Air Concerto) for the acclaimed flutist Marina Piccinini under the baton of Maestro Leonard Slatkin at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Most recently the Jazz Journalists Association awarded Mr. D'Rivera the Clarinet of the Year 2004 award, after receiving several nominations.

A gifted author, Mr. D'Rivera's book, My Sax Life was published in Spain by the prestigious literary house, Seix Barral and contains a prologue by Guillermo Cabrera Infante. It's been translated into English, published by Northwestern University Press. You can also listen to it in Mr. D'Rivera's own voice by Recorded Books in Spanish available soon in the Internet and in libraries alike. His novel Oh, La Habana is published in Spain by MTeditores, Barcelona.