Sets in Residence

Caribbean Camerata

Camerata Caribe was created in August 1982 by several faculty members of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music: Peter Kern, flute; David Bourns, oboe; Kathleen Jones, clarinet; Alan Brown, bassoon; and Vanessa Vasallo, piano. Professor Bourns was Dean of Academic Affairs at that time, in addition to serving as principal oboist in the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra since 1968. He had the idea of establishing an ensemble in residence with his woodwind colleagues from the Orchestra who also taught at the Conservatory. Given the logistical circumstances, the instrumentation was narrowed down to a woodwind and piano quartet, rather than a standard wind quintet.

The ensemble took on the task of finding an interesting repertoire that combined their instruments, inviting other artists on occasion and constantly commissioning new works for the group. Currently, Camerata Caribe continues to be active with a new generation of Puerto Rican musicians including Josué Casillas, flute; Jesús Ramos, oboe; Kathleen Jones, clarinet (original ensemble member); Adam Havrilla, bassoon; Joshua Pantoja, French horn, and Pedro Juan Jiménez, piano. Camerata Caribe's career exceeds 110 performances that include three concerts at the Casals Festival (1989, 1994 and 2008) and exchanges with Converse College and the University of Central Florida. Among his most outstanding contributions are more than 70 commissioned works that have enriched and strengthened the repertoire of contemporary concert music in Puerto Rico.

In 2012, thanks to a generous donation from the Copland Foundation, Camerata Caribe produced the CD Obras Puertorriqueñas Contemporáneas, Vol 1, currently available on all virtual platforms. This production was so successful that it received a nomination for a Grammy Award that same year.

The performances of the Sanromá Trio have been praised for “providing a class of musicality, well-care coupling and clarity in execution,” Luis Hernández-Mergal. Furthermore, its applauded participation in the first virtual edition of the Casals Festival in 2020 “…demonstrated the virtuosity of its members with perfect tuning on the strings and technique and musicality on the piano”, El Nuevo Día.

Ensemble in residence at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music since 2015, the Trio has performed both in the Conservatory's Sanromá Hall and on stages throughout the island, seeking to bring important works from the classical canon to schools and centers. cultural. The Sanromá Trio is made up of teachers Francisco Cabán Vales, Luis M. Rojas, and Diana Figueroa. The three carry out intense pedagogical activity at the Conservatory, involved not only in teaching but also in directing festivals, competitions and activities to promote the study of their respective instruments.

The Trio's mission has two aspects. First of all, it seeks to promote appreciation for chamber music in the Puerto Rican public. To achieve this task it is essential to present the great works of the genre. This is why its constantly growing repertoire ranges from the trios of Joseph Haydn and complete cycles of the works of Beethoven and Brahms to the trios of Mendelssohn, Arensky, Turina and Shostakovich.

On the other hand, the Sanromá Trio has a commitment to the music of our times, particularly the work of contemporary Latin American composers. For this he has established a close relationship with composers such as Miguel del Águila, Johanny Navarro, Christian Quiñones and Icli Zitella.

After achieving success within the framework of the Casals Festival in the virtual editions of 2020 and 2021, the Trio made a presentation for Pro-Arte Musical in the 2022 season. In 2023 they performed concerts in the US with a program of Caribbean composers that included the Trío de Gonzalo by J. Nuñez, which is possibly the first work in the genre written by a Puerto Rican composer. During the 2023-24 season they have continued with their series of concerts at the Conservatory, they premiered the Estampas suite, dedicated to them by Professor Armando Ramírez and they made their debut with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, performing the Triple Concerto by Raymond Torres. Santos, another work dedicated to the Trio.

Musical group that promotes the creation and exhibition of contemporary music by encouraging its composition and performance.

Jazzico

Jazzico is an ensemble founded in 2025 at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. It is comprised of Nitai Pons (trumpet), Rafael Lebrón (trumpet), Joshua Pantoja (French horn), Hommy Ramos (trombone), and Ramón Serra (bass trombone), distinguished professors at the institution. Their musical approach fuses the structural elegance of classical music with the expressive freedom of jazz, creating a creative dialogue that transcends genres and eras.

More than a group, Jazzico is an artistic laboratory where improvisation meets the score, and where academic tradition expands into new sonic territories. Each member brings a solid track record as a performer, educator, and creator, which enriches the repertoire and shapes a unique and sophisticated musical identity.

With roots in academia but always open to the present, Jazzico offers concerts that invite reflection, emotion, and enjoyment, bridging the gap between the classical and the contemporary through impeccable performance and profound artistic sensitivity.

Experimental Jazz Workshop

The Experimental Jazz Workshop is the Ensemble-in-Residence of the Department of Jazz and Caribbean Music at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. One of its main characteristics is its work in thematic periods, with the work of American bassist and composer Charles Mingus being one of the first areas of focus. During the current academic semester (August–September 2025), the Workshop will be a space for sonic exploration focused on percussion as a creative axis, investigating its rhythmic, timbral, and expressive possibilities within the language of jazz.

Under the musical direction of Fidel Morales, professor of drums and director of the Department, and with the collaboration of Latin percussion professor Raúl Rodríguez, the Workshop brings together outstanding students from both departments. It also has the support of Professor Javier Curet (arrangements, bass), Professor Ángel David Matos (piano), DJMC professors, and guest artists. Together, they will develop original proposals that fuse jazz with diverse musical movements: from folklore, world music, and 20th-century music to contemporary styles.

This creative laboratory will culminate in a special public presentation, offering the public a unique musical experience that celebrates improvisation, innovation, and intercultural dialogue. An educational concert will also be scheduled soon, aimed at fostering community interest in the study and appreciation of the arts, especially music.