Biography – Luis Casal

One of Panama’s leading violinists and violists, Luis Casal has made significant contributions both as a performer and educator. In recognition of his exceptional achievements, he was awarded the title of “Remarkable Citizen of Panama 2015” by Panama’s National Commission Pro Civic Values and Morals. As noted by The Panama News, “Panama does have a worthy classical scene, and right at the top of it, we find Luis Enrique Casal.” Dr. Casal’s impressive career extends across various facets of the music world. Currently, he serves as the vice president of the Sinfonía Concertante Foundation of Panama and an honorary academic adviser to the Alfredo Saint Malo Music Festival. In addition to his administrative roles, he is a viola instructor at The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program (MAP) and teaches violin and viola at several institutions, including the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Music Center, and the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts. In the realm of performance, Mr. Casal has demonstrated remarkable versatility. Known for his charisma and musicality, he has graced both classical and folk music stages, performing and giving master classes in countries such as Argentina, the Bahamas, England, France, Japan, Italy, Romania, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay.

His orchestral experience includes holding the position of Principal Violist ad honorem with the National Symphony of Panama, Principal Violist of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Concertmaster of the Butler Symphony Orchestra in Butler, Pennsylvania. He has also been a Concertmaster of the Viola Ensemble at the 2003 Tertis International Viola Workshop and Competition and a guest Concertmaster of the Altoona Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his career, Mr. Casal has collaborated with esteemed conductors including Roberto Abbado, Darwin Aquino, Sergio Commissiona, Dante Cucurullo, Teresa Chung, Eduardo Díaz-Muñóz, Charles Dutoit, David Effron, Diego García, Elisabeth Heath, Juan Pablo Izquierdo, Jorge Ledezma Bradley, Tania León, Guido López-Gavilán, Carlos Andrés Mejía Zuluaga, Philip Nuzzo, Larry Rachleff, and Dorothy Savitch.

As a co-founder and member of the Camerata Alfredo De Saint Malo, Mr. Casal continues to contribute to the classical music scene. He performs as the Concertmaster of the ADCA Symphony Orchestra, the BCCO (Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra), principal violist of the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, and violinist of the piano quartet, Ensemblast.

Mr. Casal’s artistry extends to solo and chamber music performances at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Merkin Hall at the Kaufman 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. His recent engagements include performances and tours with his brother Isaac’s project, Ensemblast. An enthusiastic collaborator with modern composers, Mr. Casal has premiered works by Carlos Bernales, Dinos Constantinides, Alexandra Dubois, Halim El-Dabh, Jorge Figueroa, Mikołaj Górecki, Howard Lew, Guido López-Gavilán, Ricardo Risco, Bartosz Smoragiewicz, David Soley, Katia Tiutiunnik, and Norberto Ulloa.

In addition to his performance career, Mr. Casal has devoted significant time to pedagogy. His teaching experience includes positions as a violin instructor at the National Institute of Music in Panama (1996), a viola instructor at the 2003 Oklahoma Arts Institute Summer Festival, and a violin/viola instructor at Laredo Community College, Texas (2005–2008). He has also served as a conductor and clinician for the Region 14 Middle School Orchestra in Texas (November 2006 and 2007), a music seminar leader for the Danilo Pérez Foundation at the National Institute of Culture of Panama (January 2008 and 2009), and a violin instructor at the Queensborough Youth Conservatory of Music at Queensborough Community College (2009–2010). Additionally, he has been a clinician for the Panama Jazz Festival (2009 and 2010), an upper strings coach for the Brooklyn Conservatory Youth Orchestra (2009–2011), a violin instructor at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School (2016–2017), and, most recently, a violin/viola master class and lesson instructor at the School of Music of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Panama (August 2018). He remains deeply engaged with the arts in Panama, frequently giving lectures and master classes at universities and educational music programs throughout the country.

Mr. Casal has also pursued composing, with his notable work “8 Etudes for Violin”, commissioned in 2021 by The Juilliard School for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program.

Mr. Casal began his violin studies at the age of 6 under Professor Jorge Vergara. In 1992, he moved to the United States to study on a scholarship at the New World School of the Arts. He holds degrees from the University of Florida (with honors), Carnegie Mellon University, Indiana University, and the University of Oklahoma. His major teachers include Jorge Vergara, Carmen Cedeño, Cathy Robinson, the Miami String Quartet, Carolyn Huebl, Matthew Dane, Daniel Heifetz, Atar Arad, and Ilya Kaler. An alumnus of The School for Strings (New York’s premier Suzuki-based music school), Luis is a Suzuki-certified instructor with mentors including Allen Lieb and Ecaterina Gerson.

Discography

Mr. Casal’s discography includes Luis Casal: Homage to Panama, released in January 2007 by Earthcds Partner [semifinalist in the 2007 Independent Music World Series (IMWS)]; Gustavo Salamín y Luis Casal: Música de Cámara Folclórica Panameña (Folk Chamber Music of Panama), re-released in September 2014 by Earthcds Partners [first released in August 2002]; and Luis Casal y la Música de Artemio Córdova (Luis Casal and the Music of Artemio Córdova), released in 2015 by Multicultura Media’s Rootstock Recording.

Jazz, Latin, World Music

Born into a musical family, Mr. Casal began playing the violin and popular guitar at an early age and was later drawn to vocal studies. In 1998, he became the lead vocalist of the rock band Criterio and, in 1997, was selected as the lead vocalist of the salsa band Orquesta Tropical (1997–1998). His interest in Latin jazz led him to study under Eric Kloss at Carnegie Mellon University and Pat Harbison at Indiana University. He served as a violinist in Brent McPike’s jazz quartet The Full Stringer (2000–2001) and, in 2002, created and established his own Latin jazz quintet, Quinteto Sazón. In 2005, he founded a 12-piece Latin jazz Afro-Cuban ensemble named Orquesta Ron y Ritmo, which was cited by the local newspaper, The Norman Transcript, as “our undisputed best Latin jazz ensemble: Orquesta Ron y Ritmo.”

Mr. Casal has collaborated with Brazilian jazz pianist João Marcos Mascarenhas, the Amazonian group Manari, Ecuadorian bassist Alex Alvear, the charanga band Típica Novel, Ric Cortez’s Latin Jazz Project, and Panamanian percussionist and songwriter Alfredo Hidrovo, whose album “Cambios” features Mr. Casal on the violin.