top of page
Festival participants 2022:
Alonso Restrepo, 24, Colombia
He began his musical studies at the Comfenalco Cartagena School of Arts, Colombia, at the age of 10. In 2011, at the age of 14, he was awarded a scholarship to go to a music summer camp in Richmond, Virginia and the same year he won a scholarship to study at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. In 2019 he finished his university studies in music with an emphasis on cello performance and industrial engineering, that same year, he received a scholarship to start his Master's degree in cello performance at Louisiana State University where he graduates in 2021. Alonso Restrepo has been an active member of several symphonies in the United States as they are; Shereveport Symphony, Texarkana Symphony, Monroe Symphony, Longview Symphony among others. He currently works as a cello teacher at the Comfenalco School of Arts, Cartagena.
Nancy Olivares, 21, Mexico
Nancy Olivares, Mexican Cellist. He began his cello studies at the age of 8 with Mtra. Temenuzhka Ostreva at the ESMDM. She was the first place winner in the "VI National Cello Competition, 2021" (professional category). She was also a semifinalist in the Young Classical Musician Competition 2022. In 2019 she participated in the Orchestra of the Americas, in the "Mexico Crescendo Tour" She was a member of OSIM. In 2021 and 2022 she was selected for the Azteca Symphony Orchestra. She has participated as a guest in the OSUANL, the FIRC Symphony Orchestra, OCUANL, the Mexico Opera Studio Orchestra, etc. She has attended various festivals such as the International Lake Festival, Leon International Cello Festival, Guadalajara International Music Festival, Virtual Cellisimo Festival, etc., where he has taken master classes with various teachers; Edison Pashko, Roman Jablonski, Santiago Cañon, Jacob Spahn, Daxun Zhang, Jesús Castro-Balbi, John Henry Crawford, Michal Shein, among others.He is in his final year of undergraduate studies at the Superior School of Music and Dance of Monterrey, where he is principal cellist in the Orqu this Symphony and in the Philharmonic of La Super. In 2021 he obtained a "Graduate Artist's Certificate in Orchestral Performance & Digital Creation", by the Academy of the Orchestra of the Americas.
Diana Avendano, 15, Venezuela
He was born on November 3, 2006 in Mérida-Venezuela. He has received musical training since he was six years old, a passion that grows from his home in a classical and popular-academic field, dedicating himself mainly to the cello. She has been a student of teachers Lcda, Lekha Días and Dr. Germán Marcano. In 2019, she experienced being able to be the leading voice of the group that bears her name Juliet Music, with whom she hopes to continue performing.
Julieta Ata Nieto, 18, Mexico
He began his musical education in the Esperanza Azteca Orchestras and Choirs project, in the Esperanza Azteca Puebla Symphony Orchestra in 2011. His cello studies began with the teacher Sharon Sánchez Nava, then he had the teacher Susana Torres Nava as a teacher. In 2013 she was selected to be part of the Esperanza Azteca National Symphony Orchestra. In the years 2015-2016 he was part of the same orchestra. In 2016 he began to receive classes from the teacher Nicolás Capilla Sánchez. In 2018 she began her studies at the Esperanza Azteca Higher Institute of Music, that same year she was the winner of the 2nd place category 3 in the National Cello Contest of the Superior School of Music and Dance of Monterrey. In 2019 he participated in the Cello Tapatío festival that took place in Querétaro. In the years 2017 - 2020 he was part of the Children's Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. In 2020, he actively participates in Masterclass with teacher Marcio Carneiro. In 2021 he was a member of Sinfónica Azteca. He has received classes from teachers Marcio Carneiro, William Molina, Álvaro Bitrán, Catherine Tunell, Mirna Lazic, Mario Alarcón, Nicolás Capilla Sánchez, among others. He is currently a student at the Esperanza Azteca Higher Institute of Music with a specialty in Cello.
Camila Vargas, 20, Venezuela/Spain
He was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela where he was part of the orchestra system from 2007 to 2018, participating in various orchestras within it, such as the Caracas Regional Orchestra, the Metropolitan Orchestra and the Caracas Youth Orchestra. In 2018 he moved with his family to the city of Madrid, and that same year he entered the Federico Moreno Torroba Professional Conservatory, where he completed his professional and high school studies in 2021. In the sixth year of professional he received the award cello in the conservatory. In addition, he was part of the JORCAM from 2019 to 2022, and is currently part of the Carlos Cruz Diez Orchestra as assistant to the principal and is finishing his studies in Musical Production at the Microfusa school.
Victor Castillo, 19, Venezuela
He was born in the city of Maracaibo, Zulia State, where from an early age and currently he is studying music at the José Luis Paz Conservatory, within the System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela and Business Administration at the Rafael Urdaneta University. . Throughout his studies, he has been marked by the different ways of expressing and understanding music, different visions that he has been able to learn and appreciate from the hand of his teachers and fellow students. Currently, he is studying in the chair of maestro Asdrubal Castillo, in addition to performing as a cellist in the Zuliana Youth Orchestra and the Rafael Urdaneta University Philharmonic. He has participated in other programs, courses and festivals such as; the Zuliano Cello Festival, the Cellísimo Festival in its first edition and the European Festival of Young Soloists in Venezuela, and has received master classes with teachers such as; Francys Vazquez, Leandro Bandres, Carlos Arias, Emmanuel Acurero, Christoph Croisé and Luca Franzetti.
Angel Bustillos, 19, Mexico
Cellist originally from Chihuahua. He began playing at the age of 12 in Esperanza Azteca. He participated in several festivals such as the International Cello Festival in Mexico "CFest", Chihuahua International Festival, Academy of Music, León International Cello Festival, New Chihuahua Art Festival, in the V and VI Monterrey National Cello Contest, winning second place in 2018, and the first place in addition to the award for the best interpretation of a Mexican piece in 2021. He has performed with orchestras such as the Azteca Symphony, the "Super" Philharmonic Orchestra of the Superior School of Music and Dance of Monterrey, the Symphony Orchestra of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, the Children's Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the Binational Youth Philharmonic Orchestra "The Bridge Mexico-USA", the Esperanza Azteca State Symphony Orchestra, the Arewá Youth Chamber and the Cello Octet "Sul-Ponticello". He has also taken master classes with Marc Coppey, John-Henry Crawford, Jesús Castro-Balbi, Noémie Raymond-Friset, Leonhard Roczek, Francisco Vila, Alvaro Bitran, Yeesun Kim, Diego Carpinteyro, Gustavo Carpinteyro, William Molina, among others. She is currently studying music at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey under the chair of teacher Temenuzhka Ostreva.
Luis Sanchez, 20, Venezuela
Cello student in the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. He began his musical studies at the age of 6 with teachers Juan Carlos Chourio and Javier Peraza. In 2015, he obtained a place in the National Cello Chair of Venezuela, with Maestro Valmore Nieves. He participated in the 1st Iberoamerican Cello Festival, with Germán Marcano and Horacio Contreras. By the year 2020 he participated in the "Tocar y Luchar" contest in which he managed to reach the semifinals of said contest and by the following year he was accepted and participated in the Cellisimo Virtual Festival. He has received master classes with teachers such as: Friedrich Thiele, Horacio Contreras, Jobine Siekman, Edgar Calderón, Luca Franzetti, Germán Marcano, Sebastian Braun, Daniel Arias, Isaac Casal. He has participated in the "Franco Medina" Symphony Orchestra, the Lara Youth Symphony Orchestra, the "Inocente Carreño" Youth Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the "Juan José Landaeta" Symphony Orchestra. He has had the pleasure of being directed by great Masters such as Christian Vázquez, Rodolfo Sanglimbeni, Gustavo Dudamel, among others. Currently, he works as a cellist with the "Juan José Landaeta" Symphony Orchestra and receives classes with Maestro Ricardo Corniel.
Julia Osorio, 15, Venezuela
Adam Caldera, 21, Venezuela/Panama
He began his musical studies at the age of 4 in Venezuela. He studied for 10 years at the Emil Friedmanl College. At the age of 11, he is one of 10 young cellists accepted into the Latin American Cello Academy at El Sistema. He moved to Panama in 2014, where he continued his studies with the teacher Isaac Casal. He participated as cello principal in the Gonzalo Brenes Philharmonic, Ibero-American Youth Symphony Orchestra, and as a guest musician in the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Panama. He has participated in festivals such as Festival Alfredo de Saint Malo, Longy School of Music's El Sistema Summer Academy, CelloBello Audition Preparation Workshop and Virtual Summer Cello Festival, among others. He was the winner of the 2019 Alfredo de Saint Malo Soloists Contest. Among his recent collaborations are the premiere of “Das Bauchem” and “Nos Volveremos a Encontramos” by composer Iván Périz together with Sofía Figuera Lairet, and the Gil brothers. His formal studies begin at the Colegio Emil Friedman with professors such as Elisabeta Grosz and Mauricio López, and continue at Fundación Sinfonía Concertante de Panamá under Isaac Casal. As of 2020, he begins private studies with the soloist Sébastien Hurtaud and is currently studying under the mentorship of maestro Dmitry Kouzov at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he is studying for a Bachelor of Musical Interpretation since September 2021. He plays a cello given by the Colombian luthier Olialín Olarte. , in recognition of his performance during the Alfredo de Saint Malo Festival 2019.
Karisma Oquendo, 17, Venezuela
He was born on December 7, 2004 in the city of Maracaibo-Venezuela. He began his musical studies at the age of 3 in the José Luis Paz Conservatory's musical kindergarten. At the age of 8, he selected the cello as his main instrument. He has participated in several important musical experiences such as; Longy Summer Camp 2020, was part of the successful Guinness Record Attempt for "The World's Largest Orchestra" carried out by the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. He is currently continuing his university studies at the Experimental Faculty of Art of the Music School of the University of Zulia, where he is an active member of the Rafael Urdaneta Symphony Orchestra and belongs to the Cello Ensemble of the same, in addition, he is a member of the Ensemble Symphonic Ad Libitum, a project carried out by 7 renowned musicians from the city.
Joel Chavez Velazquez, 24, Mexico
Born in the State of Colima on February 10, 1998, he began his professional cello studies at the University Institute of Fine Arts (IUBA) at the age of 13 with his current teacher Viktoriya Dobrushkina. Since his beginnings at the IUBA, he has managed to build a great reputation as a performer, participating in numerous concerts of excellence, young talents, educational concerts, benefit concerts, autistic centers, hospitals, Mexican music galas and musical outreach organized by the institute. During his training at the University of Colima he received classes from Dr. Gleb Dobrushkin (Chamber Music), Mtro. Oleksander Yanyev (Musical Ensembles), Mtro. Oleg Vassiliev (Orchestral Repertoire), Mtra. Tatiana Zatina (Orchestra). In December 2016 he obtained the "Third Place" in the fourth category of the IV National Cello Contest in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León and in the V edition of this same contest in December 2018 he was awarded an "Honorable Mention". in the professional category. With these awards he won a place in the Historical Honor Roll of the University Institute of Fine Arts of the University of Colima and was invited by the rector of the institution José Eduardo Hernández Nava to have an audience as university pride of this maximum house of studies.
bottom of page