Lead Faculty
RAFAEL REYES
Conductor and music educator graduated from the National University of Music (formerly the National Conservatory of Peru). Founder and director of RR Academy, an educational proposal supported by more than 15 years of experience. He serves as a music teacher at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International School, where he manages the choir, percussion ensemble, band, and string orchestra.
In July 2018, he attended the “AEYTB 2018 Festival” organized by the Spanish Association of Tubas and Euphoniums in Madrid, Spain. In June 2019, he participated in the «Orchestral Conducting Workshop» as one of the 20 selected conductors from a pool of over 100 applicants worldwide. This took place in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. In September 2019, he participated in the International Festival of Cusco held at the Municipal Theater of the same city, sharing the stage with ensembles from various Latin American countries and performing Mozart’s «Gloria» as a baritone soloist. In October 2021, he served as a guest conductor for the “Festival: Por Esto Cantamos Juntos” in Pasto, Nariño, Colombia, where he not only prepared and conducted the city orchestra of «El Tambo» but also led the «Orchestral Strengthening Workshop» aimed at young students and music teachers in the city.
In May 2023, he traveled to Quito, Ecuador, to be part of the preparation team for ensembles at the AMIS Honor Choir Festival, and in July, he traveled to Jaén as a conductor to participate in the 4th National Meeting of Orchestras and Choirs, conducting a youth orchestra with over 200 musicians on stage. In May 2024, he will return to participate in the AMIS HCF, this time in Bogotá, Colombia.
His identity as a conductor-educator solidifies with each passing year. Rafael participated as a workshop leader in the Startlabs of the Kuyayky Foundation, organizing theoretical and practical reinforcement sessions for children and youth in Jauja, Junín, in July of the same year. Together with RR Academy, he is part of the Northern Musical Community, an initiative that brings together symphonic orchestras from Huacho, Jaén, and Lima in a proposal aimed at benefiting children and youth by providing access to musical practice in a pre-professional environment.
rafaelreyesacevedo.com
NICHOLAS BAKER
Dallas-born Nicholas Leh Baker is quickly establishing himself as a dynamic conductor and teacher of conducting with expertise in leveraging in-depth knowledge and experience of the orchestral standard and contemporary repertoire. Praised for a great personable demeanor, stong work ethic, and high dedication to the success and comprehensive understanding of the importance of every students’ success in the orchestral environment.
Nicholas is currently the Artistic Director of The Americas Cultural Youth Orchestra, head faculty at The Lima Conducting Workshop in Lima, Peru with Rafael Reyes, and Festival Director and Chief Conductor of Young Artists Music Festival in Texas. He frequently assist and is cover conductor for ensembles at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as well as assistant conductor of The Houston Brass Band.
In the past Nicholas made debuts with the Lviv Philharmonic in the Ukraine, The String Orchestra of Brooklyn with guest violinist, Giora Schmidt, the Austin Symphony and with the Syzygy Contemporary Ensemble at the Meadows School of the Arts. He has previously worked with professional ensembles including the, Alia Musica Pittsburgh, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Shepherd School of Music, Sonus Chamber Orchestra, and held the principal guest conducting position with Houston Symphonic Band for 3 years. In addition, Nicholas has served as the resident conductor for The Foundation of Modern Music.
Nicholas has actively participated in several masterclasses and distinguished festivals, most notably with world-renowned conducting teachers, Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and the International Conducting Workshop and Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Nicholas is also a dedicated violinist and chamber musician, known for founding Duo Scordatura, an ensemble dedicated to premiering numerous new chamber music works. His contributions have garnered praise from critics and composers alike, making him a promising talent.
Nicholas Leh Baker is a graduate of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. His notable conducting teachers including Larry Rachleff, Don Schleicher, Gustav Meier, and Paul Phillips.
SPECIAL GUESTS
JUAN JUÁREZ
Juan Juárez is a Peruvian clarinetist trained at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima. He continued his studies at the University of Versailles, France, obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree in “Musicology and Performance” under the tutelage of Philippe Cuper. He is a member of several musical ensembles and has won the Latin American International Competition “Clarinet Week 2020”.
Juan Angel has been invited as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru and the Symphony Orchestra of Cusco, and has participated in concerts on important stages in Paris and Lima. As an educator, he has given exemplary classes at the National University of Music of Peru and the Épinay-sur-Seine Conservatory. Since 2019, he has been a clarinet professor at the Drancy Conservatory and is studying for a State Diploma at the University of Rouen.
EDUARDO MOGNASCHI
Saxophonist, entrepreneur and luthier, general director of Maderas & Metales, a leading national distributor of exclusive brands for wind instruments, working directly with brands such as Buffet Crampon, Vandoren, Barkley, Eastman Music Company, among others.
He is the founding director of the International Violinmaking Seminar, which has been successfully presented 10 times in collaboration with different countries in the region. Mognaschi is also president of the Latin American Association of Lutherie.