Clinic on Rhythmic Passion of South America & Cuba

Clinic on Rhythmic Passion of South America & Cuba, with Julio Reyes

Sunday March 3 at 1:30 p.m. Free admission

DIRECTIONS: Evergreen Valley High School

 This workshop will examine the following styles and their origins: 

• 3 Polca styles - Paraguay
• Zamba - Argentina
• Samba - Brazil
• Rumba - Cuba   

Julio Reyes started his musical training on classical guitar at age 5 and by age 18 had learned the cello and electric bass and was appointed assistant conductor to Kent Nagano of the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. Reyes gave his guitar recital debut at age 12, placed fourth in the International Agustín Barrios Competition in Mexico City at age 13, and gave a three-week concert tour of Paraguay the following year. He performed Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with Calvin Simmons and the Oakland Symphony Orchestra as a senior in high school. Since then, he has conducted youth and adult orchestras in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Cuba. He conducted Prince Albert of Monaco’s private orchestra in the opera Fay Yen Fah at the Monaco Opera in 2010 and made his Carnegie Hall debut as a winner in the Progressive Musicians Competition in February 2022. Reyes was invited by the directors of the competition to conduct a 20-piece guitar orchestra July 1, 2024, once again in Carnegie Hall.

As a longtime educator, Reyes has given lectures and masterclasses on the life and music of Agustín Barrios at music conservatories, colleges, and guitar societies in the U.S., South America, and Canada. He is excited to be working for the education department of the Santa Rosa Symphony in its Simply Strings program. In September 2023, Reyes was named conductor of the Aspirante Youth Orchestra for the Santa Rosa Symphony.