Born in Montevideo  , Uruguay, Mr. Jaurena studied bandoneon with his father from a very early age, performing with a children’s tango orchestra at the age of eight.  When only 15 years old, he became a member of the popular Donato Raciatti Orchestra of Uruguay.  He graduated with honors from the National Conservatory of Uruguay, where he composed his own work for bandoneon for the Symphony of Montevideo.  Mr. Jaurena has accompanied some of tango’s most prominent singers, notably Roberto Goyeneche, Edmundo Rivero, Agustin Irusta, among others.  He spent many years performing throughout Latin America, specifically in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, and Mexico.  In Brazil, he recorded for RCA Victor, and in Mexico he performed for Televisa. In Venezuela, he performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and presented his own work, Motivos de Tango, with the National Philharmonic of Venezuela.  In Brazil and France he recorded for films.  In the United States since 1988, Mr. Jaurena has led his own group in performances at the Lincoln Center, American Music Theater Festival, and the Ethnic and Folk Music Festival in Washington, DC.  He has performed with Astor Piazzolla’s Sextet at the Montreal Jazz Festival and on his own with the Faculty of Music at the University of Montreal. For the past five years, he has performed at the Stanford University Tango Workshop, a popular event for tango dancers throughout the United States.  In 1995, Mr. Jaurena released a recording, Cabarute, with the New York Tango Trio and, in 1997, as the Music Director of Tango Mundo, he performed in Berlin.  Currently, he is the Director of the acclaimed tango group, New York Buenos Aires Connection, which toured Europe and Russia in 1996 with the Irene Hultman Dance Company.  He has recorded with Brazilian singer Ana Caram for Chesky Records and with Paquito d’Rivera for Messidor Records.   With the rise of the bandoneon on the concert and recording scene and the renewed interest in the tango-based music of Piazzolla, Jaurena’s talent has become eagerly sought after.  He recently performed with Yo-Yo Ma in Boston, with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Hollywood Bowl Philharmonic among others.  This is Jaurena’s 10th performance with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra

American violinist Amy Beth Horman began her violin studies at the age of five.  At seventeen, she withdrew from high school to compete for a place in the doctoral program at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris.  Subsequently, among an international field of applicants, Ms. Horman won the highly coveted Premier Prix in Solo Violin at that level and within two years she had completed the Third Cycle for Solo Violin under the tutelage of Gerard Poulet.  Following the completion of her studies, she has established herself as a soloist and chamber musician through numerous orchestral and recital appearances.  Ms. Horman’s appearances are always eagerly anticipated: The Washington Post has hailed her as “having the stuff of greatness.”

In January 2003 Ms. Horman made her debut with the Fairfax Symphony in a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Of this performance, The Washington Post critic wrote “Violinist Amy Beth Horman showed she had the virtuosity and stamina necessary to navigate Beethoven’s colossal Violin Concerto… Horman traced soaring lines and rich textures with a golden, full tone that complemented the full-blooded support of the orchestra.”

In January 2005 Ms. Horman made her debut with the New Mexico Symphony, performing Mozart’s 4^th Violin Concerto with Music Director Guillermo Figueroa..  Of that performance, Maestro Figueroa wrote, “Ms. Horman is an excellent, refined performer. Her violinistic skills are of the highest order, with a fluent, polished technique, and a warm, appealing, dark burnished tone.” 

Other recent orchestral appearances have been performances of the Brahms, Nielsen, Mendelssohn and Barber concertos with several orchestras in the mid-Atlantic region as well as recitals with such artists as pianist Brian Ganz

Ms. Horman won both the high school and college divisions of the National Symphony Orchestra’s Young Soloists Competition. Since making her debut with the NSO as a Young Soloists winner, she has performed in Europe with such orchestras as l’Orchestre de Meudon and l’Orchestre Regional de Paris. In the Washington metropolitan area, she has performed with the Fairfax and McLean Symphonies, the Prince Georges Philharmonic, and the Amadeus Orchestra.  She has also performed at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater and at its Millennium Stage series, at Constitution Hall and at the Strathmore Center for the Performing Arts.  She has been featured on French-Swiss television and on American radio broadcasts. 

Carolina Sarmiento was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1974.  She began her studies in piano at the age of eight in the Conservatory of Music at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.  Her teachers where Rosario López and Angela Rodríguez.  At the age of fifteen, Miss Sarmiento received her diploma in Basic Music Studies from the same university.  At the same time, she performed in many music halls around Bogotá, and as a soloist with the university's youth symphony orchestra. 

In 1991, she won the Jóvenes Talentos (Young Artist) Scholarship which was sponsored by the Colombian Republic Bank.  The scholarship is awarded every two years and has afforded Carolina the honor of traveling to the United States to study towards a Bachelor's degree in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance.  She is now in her last year of study at the Peabody Conservatory of Music at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.  Her piano instructor is the North-American pianist Julian Martin.  In 1992, Miss Sarmiento won a competition which was sponsored by the Colombian Symphony Orchestra.  With this orchestra she gave her debut performance of Beethoven's second piano concerto in the Auditorio León de Greiff and the Teatro Colón de Bogotá, under the direction of the Uruguayan conductor Federico García Vigil.

Miss Sarmiento has participated in master classes with the Colombian maestra Blanca Uribe, the Austrian pianist Alexander Jenner, the North-American pianist Lee Luvisi, and the Canadian maestro Marc Durand.  She has had a number of opportunities to perform in the Luis-Angel Arango Concert Hall in Bogotá and has been the subject of several interviews on Colombian radio, television, and newspapers.  Recently, she performed in a series of concerts organized by the Colombian Republic Bank in different cities and auditoriums in her country.

Carolina Sarmiento also shows great interest in Baroque music.  She currently studies harpsichord and Baroque studies with maestro Webb Wiggins at the Peabody Conservatory.

José Miguel Cueto, violinist, was born in Puerto Rico, where he received his early musical training.  After graduating in 1974 from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico with a diploma in violin performance, he was awarded scholarships from the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University.  He completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Peabody under the tutelage of laureate violinist Berl Senofsky.  During his studies at Peabody he served as concertmaster of the conservatory orchestra and was chosen to perform Vivaldi's Triple Violin Concerto with his teacher, violinist Ruggiero Ricci, in the "Masters of Today and Tomorrow" concert series.  Other distinctions include several prizes, among them the Premio Colegio San Ignacio and awards: Interlochen Chamber Music, Melissa Tiller Memorial, and Peabody Alumni Association. In addition to his solo performances in the United States and abroad, Mr. Cueto is in great demand as chamber musician, having performed with such ensembles as the Kennedy Center Chamber Players, the Washington Chamber Music Society, the Casals Festival Players, and the Tidewater Chamber Players.  At home with both traditional and contemporary repertoire, he has premiered several contemporary chamber music compositions by composers of the Americas.  As soloist, José Cueto has played under the baton of conductors Fiora Contino, Leon Fleisher, Odon Alonso, Edward Polochick, Frederick Prausnitz, Peter Bay, and most recently Kenneth Kiesler and the Illinois Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Cueto has been admired by both the public and the critics for his "solid technique, as well as his rich and beautiful tone" (El Mundo, San Juan).  In March of 1993, STRAD magazine recognized Cue­to's Carnegie Hall performance at the Weill Recital Hall as "grounded, confident, and superb in all particulars."  During recent seasons he has appeared at the La Gesse Festival in France and the Autunno Musicale Veronese in Italy.  He has toured in both Argentina and the eastern part of the United States.  Mr. Cueto is concertmaster of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra and Concert Artists of Baltimore.

A first prize winner of the Joseph Feder and the Sigma Alpha Iota competitions, Adrienne Gifford was critically acclaimed as an "excellent cellist" by The Washington Post. A past member of the Amarillo (TX) and the Champaign-Urbana (IL) symphonies, she served as principal of Aspen Music Festval's Sinfonia Orchestra in 1999. In Washington, she has appeared as a soloist with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra and is currently an active freelance cellist. She holds a master's degree in music from West Texas A&M University and a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently on the faculty of the DC Youth Orchestra Program and Levine School of Music, Ms. Gifford has served on the Suzuki string program faculty of Amarillo College.

Anne Marie Shaw is originally from Stewartstown, PA and began playing the violin at age nine.  She began teaching and playing semi-professionally while still in high-school and has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University and two Master of Music degrees from Florida State University.  While earning her degrees, Ms Shaw was a member of the Roanoke Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony and the Camellia String Quartet which competed in the final round of the 1994 Carmel Competition.  She has also performed as soloist with the Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra and in several Senior and Master's recitals.      Currently, Ms Shaw is freelancing and teaching in the Washington, D.C. area.  She has performed with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, and the Arligton Symphony among others.  Last summer Ms Shaw participated in the National Orchestra Institute at the University of Maryland, and this summer will be traveling to Europe to take part in the  American Institute of Musical Studies festival in Graz, Austria.

Mr. Saade is a "Gold Medal" graduated from the “Antonio Neumane” National Conservatory of Music. He is a “Cum Laude” graduate from the University of Miami where he recieved his Bachelors Degree in Music and holds a Master of Music Degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where he studied with famous violinist and pedagogue Robert Gerle. As of 1995, he was the only Ecuadorian and Latin American accepted at the Mozarteum Institute in Salzburg, Austria, to study with violin virtuoso Ruggiero Ricci.

During his distinguished career, Mr. Saade has been the recipient of many awards and decorations, among the most important are: the 1994 “Light of America” award from the Ecuadorian Foundation for Arts and Culture in Miami, Florida, the “Keys to the City of Miami” presented to him by the Dade County Commissioner. In 2000, he was decorated by the President of the Ecuadorian Congress with the “Congressional Award for Cultural Merit”. For his work in favor of the Ecuadorian Arts and Culture the President of Ecuador honored him as a "Commander" of the National Merit Order, proclaiming him "Ecuador's Cultural Ambassador", this is the highest decoration given by the Ecuadorian Government. For his work and support for it’s creation, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Americas in Washington D.C. decorated him with the “Special Recognition Medal”. In 2004 , the Ecuadorian Congress honored him with the highest cultural decoration, the "Dr. Vicente Rocafuerte" Medal for Cultural Merit and the Minister of Culture and Education of Ecuador decorated him with the highest cultural decoration given by the Ministry, the Medal for Cultural and Artistic Merit in First Degree. Most recently, the Guayaquil Journalist Association honored him with the "Angelo Negri" Medal for Cultural Merit.

In 1993 Mr. Saade became the first Ecuadorian violinist to release a compact disc recording ”Recital” together with renowned Canadian pianist, Adam Wegrzynek. His second compact disc, “Danza Ecuatoriana” together with virtuoso Ecuadorian pianist Boris Cepeda was recorded live at the Hanover World Expo 2000 in Germany

In 2002 together with renowned Ecuadorian guitarist Julio Almeida, Jorge Saade formed the “Duo Paganini”. About the “Duo Paganini” debut recital in Cologne, Germany on October 3, 2002, Daniel Reits, music critic for the “KOELNER STADT ANZEIGER” wrote: “...two Ecuadorian virtuosos.... with the rich and varied program “From Paganini to the Andes” the artists captivated the audience......the duo impress the audience with a perfect ensemble and artistry.....”. The first compact disc of the Paganini Duo “From Paganini to the Andes” was released during their acclaimed performance at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 2005, the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra released their first compact disc recording entitled "Música Académica Ecuatoriana", recorded live at the Guayaquil Teatro Centro de Arte on June 30, 2004, featuring Mr. Saade as a guest soloist. The second recording with the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra under the direction of acclaimed conductor and composer Jose Serebrier was done live at the Guayaquil Teatro Centro de Arte on May 13, 2005, featuring Mr. Saade as a guest soloist with Mozart´s Violin Concerto No. 3. Most recently under the sponsorship of Mastercard-Pacificard of Ecuador he released “Tango, Danzon y Pasillo”, recorded live with the Pan-American Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Sergio Buslje in Washington DC.

He has been a professor of violin and viola at the “Antonio Neumane” National Conservatory of Music in Guayaquil, where he was also the Head of the String Department, General Manager and founder of the Ecuadorian Youth Symphony Orchestra Foundation (FOSJE), President of the Ibero-American Cultural Attachés Association in Washington D.C., Artistic Director and Professor of Violin at the Institute of Musical Arts at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC, Vice-president of the Washington Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Pan American Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC.

Mr. Saade served as the Cultural and Press Attaché of the Ecuadorian Embassy and Cultural Representative of Ecuador to the Organization of the American States in Washington DC from June 1997 to February 2003.

Julio Almeida is a critically acclaimed and internationally respected guitar soloist and chamber musician. The German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger described the Ecuadorian musician, a long-time resident of Cologne, as "a first-class guitarist". His recitals throughout Europe, North America and South America have been enthusiastically recieved by the public and the international press alike.

           His frequent performances as a soloist and in chamber music collaborations have taken place in prestigious concert halls such as the Beethoven Hall of Bonn, the Chiesa della Pontificia di Sant' Anna in the Vatican, the Basilica de Lourdes in France, the Marble Hall of the Hungarian National Radio in Budapest, the Concert Hall of V. V. Mayakovskiy National Museum in Moscow, the Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires, the Sala Figari, Palacio Santos in Montevideo, the Teatro Prometeo in Quito, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and Hepburn Hall in New Jersey, among others.

           His discography includes two solo albums and a disc of music for violin and guitar with Duo Paganini. He has made various recordings for radio and television in partnership with broadcasters such as WDR (West German Radio), SFB (Radio Berlin), Radio Bartók of Budapest, National Radio of Buenos Aires, and Sí TV of Ecuador.

           Almeida has won prizes in several national and international competitions, including:

1982    First prize in the National Competition for Classical Guitar in Quito/Ecuador

1996    Third prize in the Competition for the Scholarship for Cultural Promotion, given by the   Association of Business and Industry, Münster/Germany

1998    Second prize in the Chamber Music Competition of Wuppertal with the Duo Encuentro for      flute and guitar, with flutist Thomas Brögger

1999    Diploma al Mèrito in the Torneo Internazionale di Música in Rome/Italy

            Almeida first studied classical guitar with Riuhey Kobayashi at the "Conservatorio Antonio Neumane" in his hometown, where he was later awarded the position "Professor of Classical Guitar" by the Ministry of Education at the young age of 21.

             The support of various grants including the KAAD-Grant of Bonn, the Gopfelstiftung of Munich, and the Paul and Maria Kremer-Stiftung of Cologne, enabled him to further pursue his career in Germany. He studied with Tadashi Sasaki at the College of Music in Aachen and with Reinbert Evers at the College of Music in Münster, completing his studies with the highest distinction. This was followed by the Soloist-Degree "Konzertexamen" within the programme of the International Chain Study in Enschede/Netherlands, Gent/Belgium, and Essen/Germany.

             He has participated in masterclasses offered by many outstanding artists, among them Wolfgang Lendle, Abel Carlevaro, Olivier Chassin, Antonio Ruiz Pipó, Ida Polk, Luis Ignatius Gall, Hubert Käppel, Dieter Kreidler, Roberto Aussel and Aniello Desiderio.

             Almeida currently resides in Cologne and is Instructor of Classical Guitar at the Music Academies of Neuss and Meerbusch

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Gustavo Them is making his mark as an impassioned and charismatic soloist and chamber musician. His “ fluid phrasing and balanced, natural tone” were praised by the Washington Post.  He has recentlly been chosen by Marvin Hamlisch to perform in his Pops Concert Series at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore with his violin duo partner Christian Colberg. An Artist’s Diploma recipient of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, he has been recognized with the Susan W. Rose Fund for Music Career Grant.  He is the winner of the 1996 Baltimore Chamber Music Competition and holds the Honors Award from the Barcelona Conservatory in Spain.

He has been featured as soloist with the Pan American, the Gettysburg and the Trujillo (Perú) Symphony Orchestras. Recently he has released the CD “The Lyric Guitar”, with music by Villa-Lobos, Barrios, Antonio José and Piazzolla for solo guitar.  “Spanish and Latin American Music for Guitar and Violin/Viola,” a CD recorded with Christian Colberg and sponsored by Música

de Cámara Inc. in N.Y., will  be released soon. He has performed with musicians such as soprano Catherine Verrilli, bandoneonist Raul Jaurena,, violinist José Cueto, and the Grupo Ama.  Radio appearances include Radio Barcelona -FM and Catalunya Radio, Barcelona, Spain, WBJC in Baltimore, MD and Stereo Lima, Perú.

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Gustavo holds a Teacher’s Degree from the Barcelona Conservatory and a Higher Teacher’s Degree from the Oscar Esplá Conservatory in Alicante. He also earned a Graduate Performance Diploma and an Artist Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory where he studied with Manuel Barrueco. Currently he is a faculty member at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the Baltimore School for the Arts. He has taught master-classes and has

given lectures about  classical guitar technique, practicing and memorization methods.

He regularly performs in music festivals in the U.S., Spain, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Perú. Highlighted appearances include the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; ARTSCAPE ’96 in Baltimore; the Sala Eduard Toldrá of the Barcelona Conservatory in Spain; the Second International Guitar Festival in Aveiro, Portugal and the “Museo de la Nación”, Lima, Perú

Originally from Mexico, Mario started singing in musical theatre at the age of 13. Since then he has appeared in shows by composers like Maury Yeston and Allan Menken. At seventeen he created his own musical theatre company producing and directing Little shop of horrors in 1998.     In 1999 started training at Arts Educational of London, in musical theatre. That same year he appeared in Go Higher a television program produced by the BBC. At the end of his first year in London went back to Mexico to produce and direct the musical  Once on this Island.     In 2000 he continued training at the Guildford School of Acting from which he received a B.A. in Musical Theatre validated by the University of Surrey, England.     As a singer he has appeared in many shows and cabarets throughout Europe, some of which includes Coca-Cola Lifehouse in Berlin, On the shelf at the 2000 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Jack and the Beanstalk at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in G uildford, Surrey.    Mario was chosen to perform at the First Internatinal  Musical Theatre Festival in Cardiff, Wales, in Exit Allan, a new musical by Richard Stilgoe (book and lyrics Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera).     Recently Mario finished a course on cinematography at the New York Film Academy. He also won the third place at the Haller Kurzfilmtage yearly film festival in Tirol, Austria, with his first short film CHIH!

Mr. Rodelas' performance credits include principal roles in Carmen, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, La Traviata, Gianni Schicchi, Faust, The Merry Widow, I Pagliacci, The Magic Flute, Il Tabarro, Macbeth, The Return of Ulysses, Idomeneo, Fatal Song, Naughty Marietta, The Bartered Bride, Yeomen of the Guard, West Side Story, and Die Fledermaus.

He has also been featured in concert performances of Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Granados' Goyescas, Torroba's Luisa Fernanda, and numerous opera galas and benefits.

In addition to his operatic repertoire, Mr. Rodelas has an avid interest in the traditional music of Latin America, including zarzuela, mariachi, and tango. In 2000, he was honored with the Disco de Oro at the Festival de la Canción National Competition in San Francisco where he received the first place award and standing ovation for his interpretation of "Granada" by Agustin Lara.

This year marks Mr. Rodelas' debut performances as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme and Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West. .

Mr. Rodelas holds a Master of Vocal Performance degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley

This quintet from Rosario, Argentina was formed in 1975, when members of the symphony orchestra of the municipality of Rosario decided they wanted to present a variety of musical styles to the public, outside of those normally offered by a symphony. Covering the musical periods starting with Rosendo Mendizabal (1868-1913) and ending with Astor Piazzola (1921-1992), the Quintet, under the musical direction of Pedro Mario Garcia, strives to maintain the distinct melodic line of the pieces it chooses to interpret, but offers its own fresh take on many selections. The members of the Quintet are also members of the Rosario Symphony Orchestra and of the Chamber Orchestra of the Municipality of Rosario.  The Quintet has an ambitious touring schedule, having performed in Japan, Israel, Germany, and Brazil. This is their first performance in Washington, DC. 

His masterful playing is illuminated by an encyclopedic knowledge of popular, folkloric, and classical music of Latin America.  Francisco is from Mendoza Argentina, and lived in Chile and Mexico before coming to New York. In Mexico he worked with many major Mariachi groups, and won first guitarist at Mexico's Festival Ranchero de la Cancion for three consecutive years.His playing can be heard on the soundtracks of "Mambo Kings" , "Flawless", and "Frida" as well as numerous recordings, including "Bamboleo" with Celia Cruz, & Willie Colon, "Guasasa" with Johnny Pacheco, and  "WEA Carobe Tito Nieves En Otra Onda"..

Dr. Trofimenko studied performance on balalaika, as well as orchestra and conducting, at the Kiev College of Culture, and under Professor Yuri Alexik of the Kiev Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music.  In the Soviet Union, Dr. Trofimenko was a featured soloist with several ensembles and toured extensively throughout the Confederation of Independent States.  After settling with his family in the United States, Dr. Trofimenko served as artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  He is a member of the Washington Balalaika Society, a full orchestra of folk instruments that performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and numerous other prestigious concert halls throughout the country.  His performances, as well as his teaching under the auspices of the Balalaika and Domra Association of America, have brought him nationwide recognition.  In September 1998, Dr. Trofimenko was a soloist in a world premier performance of the Concerto for Balalaika and Symphony Orchestra by Vladimir Marunych.  Dedicated to carrying on the art of the balalaika outside of Russia, Dr. Trofimenko will perform for the first time tonight several new arrangements written for balalaika and symphony orchestra by Anatoly Mamalyga.

The Santa Fe Guitar Quartet (SFG4), from Santa Fe, Argentina, is an innovative guitar ensemble whose repertoire ranges from Baroque works to modern tangos. The group is strongly committed to the performance of Latin American music, having presented exciting new works to a large audience worldwide. Their full sound is similar to a small string orchestra and was praised by the Washington Post as "big, warm, round and clear." The quartet's addition of the six-string contrabass along with the occasional use of other instruments and percussive effects broaden the range and sound palate of the typical guitar ensemble. Combining the individual talents of two Argentineans and two North Americans, the group has been touring internationally since 1989, both in recital and with orchestra. The Santa Fe Guitar Quartet has performed for sold-out houses throughout North and South America including Lincoln Center and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The Organization of American States, Partners of the Americas, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Community Concerts, Texas Commission for the Arts, and Allied Concerts have all sponsored the quartet in the United States. In 1997, the Argentinean Institute for Excellence (Instituto Argentino de la Excelencia) awarded the Santa Fe Guitar Quartet the prestigious First Prize of Excellence.

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Cuban born guitarist, Rafael Padrón, began studying the guitar at the age of eleven. He attended the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba, where he completed his studies with the distinguished Argentinean teacher and performer, Victor Pellegrini. In 1986, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Advanced Institute of Art in Havana, where he graduated with a degree in music in 1991, receiving the “Student of High Achievement” award. He has studied in Master Classes with such artists as composer Leo Brouwer, guitarists Maria Luisa Anido, Alvaro Pierri, Costa Cotsiolis and David Russell.      Mr. Padrón has won top prizes in many national and international competitions, among them the Best Interpretation of Latin American Music in Havana; The Diploma of Honor at the International Classical Guitar Competition in Chile; a top prize at the National Guitar Competition in Havana and winner of the Montpelier Cultural Arts Center Recital Series Competitions in United States of America.      He has been featured in festivals like the International Festival of the Guitar in Havana, Cuba; The International Festival of Music of the Hatillo in Caracas, Venezuela, where he premiered Leo Brouwer’s Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 3, “Elegíaco”; The International Guitar Festival in Costa Rica were he premiered Leo Brouwer’s Suite “From Yesterday to Penny Lane”; The International Festival of the Guitar in Panama, The International Music Festival in Costa Rica and The Festival Iberoamericano de Guitarra, Tenerife, Spain, Rust International Guitar Festival and Competition, Rust, Austria, and Brno International Guitar Festival, Czech Republic.      Rafael Padrón has performed both solo and with orchestras in various cities in Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Japan, Spain and in the United States of America. He has performed as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Matanzas, Cuba; the Grand Marshall of Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela; the Chamber Orchestra of Caracas, Venezuela; the Camerata Latinoamericana of Costa Rica,The Independence Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica and with The Pan American Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C.      Mr. Padrón has taught classical guitar at the Jose Antonio and Carmen Calcaño Foundation of Caracas, Venezuela; at the National University of Heredia, Costa Rica; the Costa Rica University of San Jose,Costa Rica; The Paco de Malaga Guitar Gallery in Washington D.C.; The Olenka Music School, Columbia, Maryland, and The Levine School in Washington D.C. Mr. Padrón graduated from the Peabody Conservatory at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, where he has completed his Graduate Performance Diploma on a full scholarship, under the tutelage of world-renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco. Mr. Padron accomplished his Masters Degree Diploma at the University of Miami in December 2005

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The Aurora Guitar Quartet brings together guitarists from Europe, Japan and the United States. Recent performances include a sold-out New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, a concerto performance with Pan-American Symphony in Washington, D.C.’s Lisner Auditorium, and recitals in Baltimore’s Shriver Hall and The Kennedy Center. All members of the group are also accomplished soloists and have performed in recital and with orchestras in Europe, Asia and South and North Americas. The ensemble has toured extensively in Japan and performed for guitar societies in Philadelphia, Austin, Denver, Baltimore, and Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and other cities through the Florida Guitar Alliance. Aurora is expanding their guitar repertoire by frequent collaborations with composers. The Quartet was featured as Artists in Residence for the Baltimore Composers Forum and participated in Peabody Conservatory’s tribute to world-renowned composer Roberto Sierra from Cornell University. The group was invited to perform and conduct masterclasses for the National University of Costa Rica in San Jose and performed twice for the annual Manuel Barrueco Masterclass and Festival. Aurora’s recording “Fandango” has been highly praised and featured in leading guitar magazines, including Japan’s Gendai Guitar, and was also broadcast on National Public Radio

 

Luis Wanderlinder, spinto tenor, is a native of Venezuela. He won first prize at the International Song Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has performed internationally as a soloist. Mr. Wanderlinder was under an exclusive artist contract for seven years with Venevision and Radio Caracas Television. Since coming to the United States, he has appeared regularly in recitals in the midwest. In the Washington, DC area, Mr. Wanderlinder has performed with the Gala Hisplanic Theater in "Neruda 2000" and "El Burlador de Sevilla" and with the In Series in their productions of the zrzuelas "La Verbena d La Paloma" and "Los Gavilanes." He performed the role of Sir Maynard in a new musical "Forever Is" at the Ernst Cultural Center in Annandale, VA and most recently with the Northern Virginia Community Orchestra in their concert of French music. He is a student of Rosemarie Houghton

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Walter Perez has been studying Argentine Tango and Latin dances since 1992. He has trained in various styles and techniques with renowned Tango instructors such as Juan Carlos Copes, Graciela Gonzalez and Rodolfo Dinzel. His style and skill have been broadened with the integration of techniques used in ballet, jazz, modern dance and acting. Walter has performed with several dance companies, art centers and theaters. This has contributed to his enhanced skill on stage. Walter has participated in several TV variety shows and special events. He worked as choreographer and choreographer’s assistant for several companies and shows and can be seen in a national commercial for Coldwell Banker. His latest accomplishment is as featured dancer in Tango y Flamenco Fusion at the Thalia Theater in Queens from February through March 2006. Walter currently teaches both Salsa and Argentine Tango classes.

Ana Martinez, one of Spain's most outstanding flamenco dancers, began dancing at the age of five, studying with her father Niño de Brenes. At nine, she won first prize in open competition in Paris, resulting in her debut with the ballet company of Mariemma in Manuel de Falla's "El Amor Brujo." The young Ms martinez performed as a soloist at the Opera comique, the Salle Chopin-Pleyel and the Palais de Chaillot in Paris and throughout Europe. As a young woman, she formed her own company and, when on tour in Brazil, met her husband the great guitarist Paco de Málaga. Paco, also from a long family tradition of flamenco performers, had begun his career in Spain, and studied with Antonio Sanchez and Ramón de Algeciras, the father and brother of internationally known Paco de Lucía. Together Ms Martinez and Paco de Málaga created the Ana Martinez Flamenco Dance Company, and have toured North and South America, Europe and North Africa. Since arriving in Washington, the company has performed in the City Dance Program at the Warner Theater, National Theater, Lisner Auditorium, Kennedy Center. Some of the programs were sponsored by the Embassy of Spain. At the Embassy's invitation, they gave a command performance for Andrés Segovia, honoring the master guitarist. Ms Martinez is one of the few authentic flamenco dancers in the US today; she has performed for such luminaries as Rudolph Nureyev, Queen of Spain Doña Sofía, Andrés Segovia and others. Ana has also been recognized as an authority on Spanish theater dance. She was selected to choreograph and perform as soloist in Gian Carlo Menotti's world premiere of "Goya" which featured Placido Domingo. She was also the featured dancer and choreographer in the Washington Opera's production of "Carmen."

Rosa Collantes is an internationally renowned performer, choreographer and dance instructor. She has worked and studied with Carlos Gavito, Nito and Elba, Hector Zaraspe and Pedro and Laura Escudero. As a featured dancer, ensemble member and choreographer, Rosa is recognized by audiences throughout the world for the intensity and authenticity of her dance which exhibits a unique and sensual style.

As a choreographer, Rosa recently worked on a tribute to Tito Puente at Madison Square Garden, on the Walnut Street Theatre's production of Camila, starring Mira Sorvino, John Leguizamo, and Joe Pesci., and on Dance with Me, starring Vanessa Williams and Chayanne. She also coached Matt Damon for his upcoming movie, The Brothers Grimm.

Rosa has performed at Manhattan's most illustrious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden and Town Hall and has made guest appearances on television shows such as, Good Morning America, Regis and Kathy Lee, Best Talk, and Sabado Gigante, in addition to television networks HBO, Telemundo, and Canal Sur, among others.

With an extensive knowledge of Latin American folkloric repertoire, Argentine Tango and other contemporary social dances, Rosa teaches workshops throughout the world. She is currently the exclusive instructor for the Ballroom Club at the United Nation.  She has been honored at various national and international Salsa and Tango Congresses.

Mariano Navone  Mariano Navone, from Argentina , was introduced to Tango by his grandfather when he was a child.  At a very young age Mariano started performing at the local venues and Milongas, and from then on his love for Tango took him to perform on world famous stages. Trained by some of the leading Tango figures, like Rodolfo “el Duende” Diaz,  Marisa y Ricardo, Jose Franco, Silvio Lavia, Gustavo Naveira, Mariano "Chicho "Frumboli , Orlando Paiva, Javier & Geraldine, it is to no surprise that Mariano nowadays is one of the most promising new talents of the new Tango Generation. His performances include the Fifth World Tango Summit, "Grupo Intertango", "2 por 3 sexteto menor", "Punta y Taco", "Revival Tango", "Ballet de Marisa y Ricardo", "Compañia Sur", "Contrastango", "Tango Export", "Tango Quiebre", "Tangoneando", "Retratos", "Historia entre Tangos" , "Mal de Amores". "Tango y algo mas", "El Tango y sus bailarines", "Vengo a rescatarte Tango" under the artistic direction of Victoria Colosio, and most recently with Tango legend Nelly Omar at the Auditorio Fundacion Theatre. He was chosen for the Puerto Tango show togegher with the renowned Agri- Zara te-Falasca trio. He taught and performed at the first, second and fifth World Tango Festival of Buenos Aires, the Rome Tango Festival, the Festival of Sao Paulo, Brasil and he travels to teach and perform in Italy and Spain since 2005. Choreographer Victoria Colosio, asked him to be the resident tango teacher of the Rosario "Casa del Tango". Mariano has also studied music for many years, which gives him the very unique ability to teach Tango with a deep understanding of Tango music. His unique style has won him worldwide recognition, and his classes move people from all cultures. A teacher & performer in high demand!

Influenced by her parents, Marga and Raul, Carolina, from an early age wished to perform. She has formal training in ballet, Latin ballroom dancing, salsa, and flamenco, but decided to specialize in Argentine tango.  She recently marked a milestone in her professional career when she was the featured dancer in the Sidney Pollack film Random Hearts.  She won First Place in a dance contest on the very popular Spanish-language TV program, Sabado Gigante.  This year she debuted on Broadway at Town Hall series, It’s not Just Jazz and Tangos for la Milonga with Romulo Larrea. She very recently danced in Dreams, a tango extravaganza, and appeared on the TV morning show, Good Day, New York with Penny Crone. Her many acclaimed performances include Tango & Tango at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Tango Fantastico at the Bellearyre Music Festival, and Tangos and Dances of South America at the Purchase Performing Arts Center.  She taught Argentine tango and salsa at the Colorado Dance Festival in Boulder, Colorado, and was a featured dancer, singer, and actress in the Two River Theatre Company’s production of Blood Wedding.  In addition, she has performed at the Buenos Aires celebration at the World Financial Center. She has also traveled to Hilchenbach-Lutzel, Germany, where she danced with the Sudwestfalen Philharmonic for its performance of Symphonic Tango Night.  Carolina performs regularly with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium.

Founded in 1983 by Betty Buchanan, the Capitol Hill Choral Society is among Washington's artistically acclaimed arts organizations.  The Society presents a nine-month season with three concert periods.  The repertoire is eclectic, drawing from the entire choral repertoire, including major works with orchestra.   The 1998-99 season marked the Society's first season under the direction of William Usher.  A young and dynamic choral conductor, Usher is committed to the continued growth of this fine ensemble.   The Society's members are drawn from a wide range of Washington professions, including Capitol Hill staff, attorneys, civil servants, doctors, and homemakers.  All are drawn to the Society's commitment to making the finest choral music accessible to the DC community.     William D. Usher II is the Music Director of the Capitol Hill Choral Society.  He began work with the choir in the 1998-99 season.  Mr. Usher is also Director of Liturgical Music at Holy Trinity Church, Georgetown, a position he has held since September 1995.  Originally from upstate New York, he comes to Washington via Los Angeles, where he was first a graduate student and later Director of Music at St. Mel Church in Woodland Hills.  At St. Mel, he established one of the most significant music programs in the Archdiocese.  He also taught on the music faculty of St. John's Seminary College in Camarillo, CA.   As a choral conductor, Mr. Usher has conducted numerous major works for chorus and orchestra.  He has recorded a CD entitled "Requiem" with chorus and orchestra, a Christmas album entitled "Merry Christmas to All" with the St. Mel Boychoir, and portions of the movie soundtrack "A New Nightmare" with the Los Angeles Boychoir.  Specializing in-group vocal techniques for both adults and children, Mr. Usher has been a clinician for children's vocal techniques in Southern California, and a guest conductor for the Lousiana Music Educators Conference in New Orleans.   Mr. Usher received the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he studied with acclaimed concert organist Cherry Rhodes.  He did two years of undergraduate work in church music a Wesminster Choir College where he studied organ with Dr. Donald McDonald and conducting and group vocal techniques with the late Frauke Haasemann and Constantina Tsolainou.  He has sung under the baton of such noted conductors as Joseph Flummerfelt, Leonard Slatkin, and Riccardo Muti.

Cafici realized he was musical when only 9 years old but he did not begin to study music until he was 19, at the National University of Cuyo (under Maestro Roberto Ubay).  Though committed to his studies in classical music, Cafici discovered his expressive creativity in popular music and decided to form his own heavy metal band, Exegesis in 1997. From then on, Cafici’s career took off: session keyboardist, pianist, music producer, arranger and music director for various music artists. He has performed throughout Argentina, in Cordoba, San Juan, San Luis, and Buenos Aires and also in Chile.  He has been a member of no fewer than 20 different bands and music groups, from hard rock, ska rock, and pop to latino, bossa nova, folkloric, and classical.  He has shared the stage with many well-known Latin American musicians, such as Pocho Sosa, Jorge Sosa, Alfredo Caseros, Eduardo Pinto, Sebastián Narváez, Fredy Vidal, Oscar Puebla, among many others. Cafici’s latest passion is working out of his own studio, producing music for own label, Shark Records, and performing in his own electronica-fusion band, the Pablo Cafici Shark Band

Angel Coria is internationally recognized for his main role as a dancer in the film "Tango" by Carlos Saura. He was also one the stars of the show  "Copes Tango Copes", performing nationally in Argentina and around the world. Besides his outstanding performances as a tango dancer  he has also acquired extensive knowledge of choreography as assistant choreographer in the Mariano Mores Company and as artistic director of the tango show at EL VIEJO ALMACEN. As well as his professional dancing career he is also a noteworthy MAESTRO at La Escuela Argentina de Tango in Buenos Aires .