AboutA charismatic leader with a dynamic presence on the podium, Latin Grammy–nominated and American Prize–winning conductor Luis Viquez is celebrated as one of the most versatile musical voices of his generation, whose passionate leadership and energetic musicianship have earned him recognition as one of Central America’s most influential conductors.
As Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Barrington at St. John’s and Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the University of Rhode Island, Viquez’s leadership is built on years of artistic excellence. His experience includes collaborations with ensembles across the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and England, including the Worcester Symphony Orchestra (MA), the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Orquesta Sinfónica de Heredia, the Narragansett Bay Symphony (RI), the Cherokee Symphony (IA), and the Emporia Symphony Orchestra (KS), among many others. He also held a distinguished seven-year tenure as Music Director of the University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Opera (2016–2023). Other engagements include prestigious conducting fellowships with the Allentown Symphony (PA) and the Saratoga Orchestra of Whidbey Island (WA). Recently, Viquez was named a Music Director finalist for both the Hastings Symphony Orchestra (NE) and the Southeastern Philharmonic Orchestra (MA). Viquez’s artistry extends beyond the podium as an accomplished clarinetist. He has appeared as a soloist with the South Dakota Symphony, Sioux City Municipal Band, and the Heredia Symphony, and currently serves as a clarinetist/bass clarinetist with the Worcester Symphony Orchestra (MA). Other career highlights include his tenure with the Heredia Symphony, and his work as a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the Latin American Youth Wind Orchestra in Colombia, and a tour with the World Youth Wind Orchestra in Taiwan. His chamber music performances have been broadcast on South Dakota Public Broadcasting and the University of Costa Rica Broadcasting System. A recipient of numerous awards, Viquez was named third-place winner of the 2023 American Prize in Opera Conducting, received the 2021 South Dakota Music Education Association Outstanding Educator Award, and earned Honorable Mention in the 2022 Respighi Prize for Orchestral Conducting, presented by the City of Bologna and the Chamber Orchestra of New York. His discography includes the albums Costa Rica desde Afuera (recorded with the Heredia Symphony Orchestra), Observations On… (recorded with the University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra), and El Ruido del Agua, which earned him a nomination as conductor for the 23rd Latin Grammy Awards in the category of Best Classical Music Album. His performances as a clarinetist can also be heard on his own album Shades and Cycles, the albums Eddie Mora: Haikus and Paul Lombardi: Music for Clarinet and Other Instruments, as well as on four recordings released by Musitica Records, where he appears as principal clarinetist of the Heredia Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed live for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Iowa Public Radio, and the University of Costa Rica Broadcasting System. As a music scholar, his research has been published in noted journals across the U.S., Germany, and Costa Rica. His work on Latin American music and instrumental pedagogy has appeared in journals such as the Journal of the College Orchestra Directors Association, WASBE World Magazine, Revista Educación de la Universidad de Costa Rica, and the Journal of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He is also co-author of the 2016 book Benjamín Gutiérrez: La Música es Mi Destino (University of Costa Rica Press). A tireless advocate for music education, Luis Viquez is a champion of access, excellence, and artistic growth for young musicians. In addition to his academic endeavors at the University of Rhode Island, he has served as conductor of the Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa All-State Orchestras. He also maintains active collaborations with youth ensembles throughout the United States and internationally, including Costa Rica’s National System of Music Education, the Guatemala Youth Wind Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Symphony and Repertory Orchestras, the South Dakota Youth Symphony, the Southeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestras, and the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras. As a highly sought-after clinician, he is in frequent demand for honor ensembles and festivals across the country and abroad. Dr. Viquez holds degrees from the University of Costa Rica (BM in Clarinet Performance), Truman State University (MA in Clarinet Performance and MA in Wind Band Conducting), and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (DMA in Orchestral Conducting). He is a clarinet artist for Royal Global Clarinets and D’Addario Woodwinds, and is a Past President of the College Orchestra Directors Association |
Artistic Resume
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