Kingston Chamber Music Festival

Latin Grammy-nominated and American Prize winner artist Luis Viquez continues to gain attention as one of the most influential Central American musicians of his generation with his versatile career as a clarinetist and orchestral, opera, and wind band conductor. A native of Costa Rica, he currently serves as the Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to this, he held an acclaimed seven-year tenure as the Director of Orchestral Activities Endowed Chair and Music Director of the University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, as well as the conductor of the University of South Dakota Opera from 2016 to 2023. Under Dr. Viquez’s guidance, the orchestral program at the University of South Dakota earned both national and international acclaim as one of the most vibrant institutions for orchestral studies in the Midwest region. He also served as USD’s Associate Professor of Clarinet, leading a successful studio comprising both graduate and undergraduate Music Education and Music Performance students, several of them winning prestigious awards at the state and regional level.

As a sought-after guest conductor, Dr. Viquez has led featured performances throughout the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and England, collaborating with ensembles such as the Orquesta Sinfónica de Heredia (Costa Rica), the Cartago Municipal Orchestra (Costa Rica), the National Wind Orchestra of Guatemala, the Cherokee Symphony (IA), the Emporia Symphony Orchestra (KS), the Midwest Chamber Ensemble (KS), the Cartago National Wind Ensemble (Costa Rica), and the Hastings Symphony (NE). His operatic conducting appearances include Menotti’s “The Old Maid and the Thief” with the Truman Opera Theater (2013), Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” (2015), and Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” (2016) with the UMKC Opera Theater, and Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” (2017), Menotti’s “The Consul” (2018), Massenet’s “Cendrillon” (2019), Handel’s “Alcina” (2022), and Puccinni’s “Suor Angelica” (2023) and “Gianni Schicchi” (2023) with the University of South Dakota Opera. Recently, he held conducting fellowships with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (PA), the Saratoga Orchestra (WA), and the Chamber Orchestra of New York.

His discography as a conductor includes the albums “Costa Rica desde Afuera” recorded with the Heredia Symphony Orchestra, featuring chamber orchestra works by Andres Soto, José Mora, Pablo Chin, and Guido Sánchez; “Get Along ´Yotes” with music by Corrado Maria Saglietti and Eddie Mora; “El Ruido del Agua – Music by Eddie Mora” featuring the University of South Dakota Symphony – nominated for the 23rd Latin Grammy Awards in the category of Best Classical Music Album – and “Observations on…” with orchestral music by Rocío Sanz, Deanna Wehrspann, Andrés Soto, Stephen Yarbrough, and Steven Landis, recently released by Mark Records.

Parallel to his career as a conductor, Dr. Viquez is an accomplished clarinetist. He has appeared as a soloist with the South Dakota Symphony, the Cherokee Symphony, the Sioux City Municipal Band, and the Heredia Symphony. In the early years of his career, he served as a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and toured with the World Youth Wind Orchestra in Taiwan. His performances can be heard on the albums “Eddie Mora: Haikus” and “Paul Lombardi: Music for Clarinet and Other Instruments,” as well as on four albums in which he recorded as the principal clarinetist of the Heredia Symphony Orchestra released by Musitica Records. He has also performed live for the South Dakota Public Broadcasting, the Iowa Public Radio, and the University of Costa Rica Broadcasting System.

As an avid champion for Music Education and community music, Dr. Víquez is a highly demanded clinician and adjudicator at the national and international level. He has conducted several All-State orchestras, community ensembles, and honor band festivals nationwide and has presented instrumental conducting workshops and clarinet masterclasses at the University of Iowa, the University of Connecticut, Pacific Lutheran University, the National Conservatory of Music of Honduras, Northern State University, the National University of Costa Rica, Emporia State University, Wayne State College, and the University of Costa Rica, where he also served as a Visiting Professor of Chamber Music for the summer of 2019. As a scholar, Dr. Viquez has published academic articles, both in English and Spanish, regarding instrumental music pedagogy and Latin American music in the Journal of the College Orchestra Directors Association, the WASBE World Magazine, the Revista Educación de la Universidad de Costa Rica, and the Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. Additionally, he is one of the authors of the book “Benjamín Gutierrez: La Música es Mi Destino,” published in 2016 by the University of Costa Rica Press.

He is a winner of the 2022 American Prize in Orchestral Performance, in addition of being one of the recipients of the 2021 South Dakota Music Education Association Outstanding Educator Award and the 2022 University of South Dakota Presidential Legacy Award. He also received an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Respighi Prize in Orchestral Conducting, organized by the City of Bologna and the Chamber Orchestra of New York. Dr. Viquez holds degrees from the University of Costa Rica (BM – Clarinet Performance), Truman State University (MA – Clarinet Performance & MA – Wind Band Conducting), and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri Kansas City (DMA – Orchestral & Opera Conducting). He is a clarinet artist for the brands Royal Global Clarinets and D’Addario Woodwinds USA and currently serves as the National Vice President of the College Orchestra Directors Association.

Adrian Montero Moya is one of the most internationally acclaimed Costa Rican musicians. A winner of several competitions both nationally and internationally, he is actively recording new albums and promoting new music, especially works by contemporary Costa Rican and Ibero-American composers. He has given recitals in Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, and France.

His repertoire spans from the Baroque era to the present day, with a particular emphasis on contemporary Latin American music. This allows the audience to explore a wide spectrum of guitar repertoire. His discography includes two records: “Azulado, “featuring music from Costa Rican contemporary composers, and “Sonatas and Partitas”. Additionally, he participated in the recording of “Sueños y Sones” with Marco Corrales, the Latin Grammy-nominated album “Elruido del Agua” with Eddie Mora, and the world-premiere recording of the string quintet “Oché” by the Costa Rican composer Alejandro Cardona, alongside “Cuarteto Latinoamericano.”

His esteemed teachers include guitarists Nuria Zúñiga, Aldo Rodríguez, Jorge Luis Zamora, and Pablo Ortíz. He has participated in masterclasses with Lukasz Kuropaczewski, Brasil Guitar Duo, Mario Ulloa, Andres Saborío, Andrew Zohn, Andrea Gonzales Caballero, among others. Most recently, he is a Master’s candidate in classical guitar performance at the University of Rhode Island under the direction of American virtuoso, Adam Levin.

His goal is to promote the music of Latin America and create opportunities for the younger generations of Costa Rican guitarists. To this end, he is the co-director of “Concurso Nacional de Guitarra” in Costa Rica, continuing the legacy of his predecessors.

Ricardo Morales is one of the most sought after clarinetists of today. He joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as principal clarinet in 2003. Prior to this he was principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, a position he assumed at the age of 21. His virtuosity and artistry as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician has been hailed and recognized in concert halls around the world. He has been asked to perform as principal clarinet with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and at the invitation of Sir Simon Rattle, performed as guest principal clarinet with the Berlin Philharmonic. He also performs as principal clarinet with the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra and the Mito Chamber Orchestra, at the invitation of Maestro Seiji Ozawa.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mr. Morales began his studies at the Escuela Libre de Musica along with his five siblings, who are all distinguished musicians. He continued his studies at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Indiana University, where he received his Artist Diploma. Mr. Morales has been a featured soloist with many orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Seoul Philharmonic, and the Flemish Radio Symphony. During his tenure with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, he soloed in Carnegie Hall and on two European tours. He made his solo debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2004 and has since performed as soloist on numerous occasions. Ricardo performed the world premiere of the Clarinet Concerto by Jonathan Leshnoff, commissioned for him by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

An active chamber musician, Mr. Morales has performed in the MET Chamber Ensemble series at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Seattle Chamber Music Summer Festival, and the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, on NBC’s The Today Show, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has performed with many distinguished ensembles, such as the Juilliard Quartet, the Pacifica Quartet, the Miró Quartet, the Leipzig Quartet, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. He has also collaborated with Christoph Eschenbach, André Watts, Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, James Ehnes, Gil Shaham, and Kathleen Battle. Mr. Morales is highly sought after for his recitals and master classes, which have taken him throughout North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, he currently serves on the faculty of Temple University.

Mr. Morales’s performances have been met with critical acclaim. The Philadelphia Inquirer hailed his appointment to The Philadelphia Orchestra, stating that “… in fact, may represent the most salutary personnel event of the orchestra’s last decade.” He was praised by the New York Times as having “ … fleet technique, utterly natural musical grace, and the lyricism and breath control of a fine opera singer.” Mr. Morales was also singled out in the New York Times review of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Berlioz’s Les Troyens, describing his playing as “exquisite” and declaring that he “deserved a place onstage during curtain calls.”

Mr. Morales’s debut solo recording, French Portraits, is available on the Boston Records label. His recent recordings include performances with the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, with the Pacifica Quartet, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award, as well as the Mozart Concerto with the Mito Chamber Orchestra for DECCA. Ricardo is a sought after consultant and designer of musical instruments and accessories, and enjoys a musical partnership with F. Arthur Uebel, a world renowned manufacturer of artist level clarinets.