Luis Casal

Violin, Viola

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One of Panama’s leading violinists and violists, Luis Casal was awarded “Remarkable Citizens of Panama 2015" by the Comisión Nacional Pro Valores Cívicos y Morales de Panamá [Panama’s National Commission for Civic and Moral Values]. The Panama News cites: “Panama does have a worthy classical scene, and right at the top of it we find Luis Enrique Casal.” He is vice president of the Sinfonía Concertante Foundation of Panama, an honorary academic adviser to the Alfredo Saint Malo Music Festival, and violin/viola instructor at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center, the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts, and the Opportunity Music Project. He has performed and/or given master classes in the Bahamas, England, France, Japan, Italy, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay. 

Dr. Casal has held the position of Principal Violist ad honorem of the National Symphony of Panama, Principal Violist of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Butler Symphony Orchestra in Butler, Pennsylvania, Concertmaster of the Viola Ensemble of the 2003 Tertis International Viola Workshop and Competition, and guest concertmaster of the Altoona Symphony Orchestra. He is co-founder and member of the Camerata Alfredo De Saint Malo, and currently performs as concertmaster of the ADCA Symphony Orchestra, concertmaster of the Brooklyn Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, principal second violin of the Musica De Camara String Orchestra (New York), principal violist of the Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra, and violist of the Paramount Chamber Players.

A concert artist in both the violin and the viola, Dr. Casal has performed solo and chamber music in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, the Hall of the Americas at the Organization of American States, the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Theatre of Panama. Most recent commitments have included performances, tour and recording with the quartet of his brother Isaac Casal, Ensemblast. Dr. Casal is also enthusiastic about collaborating with modern composers, having premiered pieces by Dinos Constantinides, Carlos Bernales, Alexandra Dubois, Jorge Figueroa, Mikolja Gorecki, Howard Lew, Ricardo Risco, Bartosz Smoragiewicz, and Norberto Ulloa.

An alumnus of The School for Strings (New York's premier Suzuki-based music school), Dr. Casal is a Suzuki certified instructor where his mentors included Allen Lieb and Ecaterina Gerson. Dr. Casal holds degrees from the University of Florida (BM with honors), Carnegie Mellon University (MM in violin and viola), Indiana University (Performer Certificate), and the University of Oklahoma (DMA).  His major teachers include Jorge Vergara, Carmen Cedeño, Cathy Robinson, the Miami String Quartet, Carolyn Huebl, Matthew Dane, Daniel Heiftetz, Atar Arad, and Ilya Kaler.  

His recordings can be found under the labels Earthcds Partners and Multicultura Media’s Rootstock Recording.

Website: www.luiscasal.com

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