Hector Vasquez(Violist) English

Hector Vasquez was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He comes from a family of musicians. He began his studies at the age of fourteen with his uncle Ismael Vasquez disciple of maestro Galamian and obtained an Arts Degree, Mention Music from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. He has attended in Performance Residency Program (PRP) at the Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). He has been a member of the Systema de Orquestas Juveniles de Venezuela. (System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela) ( FESNOJIV) , winner of the UNESCO prize. He also formed part in the most important Orchestra in Venezuela, the Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar ‘SJVSB’ (the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela) (the SJVSB has worked closely with such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, and Daniel Barenboim.), soloist violist of the Sucre State Symphony and Soloist violist of Camerata Bach of Venezuela. He has participated in the courses and master classes with maestros Manuel Roman from Reina Sofia, Joen Vasquez assistant to the principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pamela Mc Connell of the University of Miami, Gerald Cousse of the Conservatory of Paris, Atar Arad of the Indiana University and Charles Pickler principal of the Chicago Symphony. Hector Vasquez has been a viola instructor for the Academic Center (FOSJS) in Venezuela which belongs to the six states and also he has been an instructor for the Simon Bolivar Conservatory. In 2000 he received a full scholarship for the New World School of Art in Miami, where he took the classes with the Maestro Richart Fleischman. He was also a student of Chauncey Patterson, violist of the Miami String Quartet. He has been a member of the Miami Symphony Orchestra (Florida) and substituted for the Symphony of Americas ( Fr Lauderdale, Florida). He got a full scholarship to participate in the Sewanee Music Festival USA as well as in the Hot Springs Music Festival with the Maestro Igor Fedotov (Michigan University). He was selected by professor Janet Sung of the Julliard School of Music, Drew Irvin (concert master of the Arkansas Symphony) and Daniel Cline (cello) to participate in the Chamber Musicians Festival,interpreting Schubert, Quartettsatz. In 2004 he has continued his study at the Carnegie Mellon University with the Maestro Toby Appel from Julliard School of Music. In 2005 he participated as a principal Violist in the Sixth Annual Community Side-by-Side Concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he is a member in the Butler and Altoona Symphony Orchestra (Pennsylvania) and also receiving a counsel with Joen Vasquez, assistant to the principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Joen Vasquez has described him; Hector has a very good left hand technique and a beautiful tone. He is also very musical, a very gifted young violist. In 2006 Kenneth Martinson, assistant professor of Viola at University of Florida invite him to be a member residency at University of Florida with Nuevo Mundo String Quartet. Also he was invited to study and be assistant viola teacher Michael Klotz in the University of Florida, Miami. Currently he is working for Musika Lesson with children and adults in Pittsburgh PA. He is a member of Autana String Quartet in New York and also receiving a counsel with Joen Vasquez, assistant to the principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony. About his experience with FESNOJIV Systema de Orquestas Juveniles de Venezuela. (System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela). The musical education provided by the Orchestra and Choir System in poor communities had several important benefits. It aimed to develop the artistic and intellectual capacity of children and young people through a program which they would not normally be able to afford; to improve the lives of underprivileged youth and children, through structured work after school for three or four hours, in a healthy environment, that help them to build discipline and a spirit of cooperation and self-esteem and steer the participants away from drugs, delinquency, prostitution, vices, and corruption; and to create new income-earning opportunities for youths who decide to pursue a musical career. The activities of the foundation was taken as a model by the UNESCO to be effected everywhere as part of the development of the education of the children. This system expands to the 120 youth symphonic orchestra, 60 children’s symphonic orchestra and a myriad of choruses, with more than 110,000 youth and children participating in the program. Language: English and Spanish