Fadi Iskandar, Violin, Middle Eastern Musical Traditions, Tucson, AZ | 2022 Fadi Iskandar, a two-time awardee, is a master violinist from Syria with a deep musical understanding and knowledge of Middle Eastern music, theory, and culture. Trained as a young boy in classical violin, he then learned Middle Eastern music from elders in his community … Read more
Andrea Gallegos, Mariachi Director. Tucson, AZ | 2023 Andrea Gallegos, one of the first female mariachi directors in the Southwest, has been playing and singing mariachi music for 29 years. “In Mexico, Mariachi was predominantly a male genre, but in the United States, females of all ages now participate in Mariachi,” she says “At age … Read more
Ken Koshio, Taiko Player. Phoenix, AZ | 2023 Ken Koshio is a taiko player who also plays the Shamisen (three-stringed instrument) and Shinobue (bamboo flute). Born in Japan, Koshio grew up surrounded by traditional Japanese culture. He began learning music at a young age and was exposed to traditional, ceremonial drumming practiced under Shintoism and … Read more
Maximiliano Larrea, Argentine Mestizon Guitarist. Tucson, AZ | 2023 Maximiliano Larrea is a master Argentine Mestizon guitarist. “This [term Metstizon] is significant,” Larrea says, “because Argentine tango has always been associated with European white immigrants, rendering invisible the many contributions of mestizo performers like myself. He has been playing, composing, and teaching tango and other styles … Read more
J. Javier Enríquez, Mariachi Composer & Director. Tucson, AZ | 2023 J. Javier Enríquez is a mariachi composer and director of Mexican-American/Chicano and Tohono O’odham ancestry. He has played guitar since age four, and began learning mariachi music at Tucson High School and studied voice in the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. He now directs his … Read more
Jing Xia, Guzheng Player. Tucson, AZ | 2023 Jing Xia is a master of the guzheng (plucked 21-string Chinese zither), an instrument played as both court and folk music and traces its roots back to the sixth century. Jing started learning the zither at age four in China and was guided by various teachers in … Read more