Celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th-October 15th) with us at Starr Library! Ávila Ensemble will be kicking things off with their repertoire of selected Venezuelan folk songs. Pupusas and tamales (including vegan and vegetarian options) will be provided by Pupuseria Mi Ranchito! 

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Ávila Ensemble was created by Venezuelan conservatory students at Bard College during the Spring semester of 2021. The group is a result of the wish of these young Venezuelans to reconnect with their roots and their culture, and to demonstrate the different colors of their country through its music.

Laura Pérez Rangel is a fifth-year student double-majoring in Human Rights with a focus on Anthropology and Violin Performance at Bard College and Conservatory of Music. Laura transferred to Bard from Venezuela, where she studied ethnomusicology and was part of the El Sistema program. Laura has performed with several orchestras, including orchestras from El Sistema (National Children Orchestra of Venezuela, National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Sinfónica de la Juventud Zuliana Rafael Urdaneta), Bard orchestras (Bard Conservatory Orchestra and Bard Philharmonic) and orchestras from the Dudamel Foundation and the Classical Music Institute with which she has toured to Italy, Austria, Mexico and China. As a way to combine her passion for music and social justice, she will join the Strings of Latin America team as a research and cataloging intern during the summer besides participating as a violin fellow in "Ascend," a yearly summer program from the Classical Music Institute of San Antonio, TX, where she will be working with kids from low income communities while receiving lessons and playing alongside a remarkable faculty team. Laura is currently part of Carmit Zori's violin studio.

Double-bassist Elizabeth Liotta Pirela is a third-year student originally from Maracay, Venezuela. Musically raised in El Sistema, Elizabeth has been playing the bass in orchestras for 8 years now. She chose sociology as her second major at Bard College. She was part of the double bass section of the renowned orchestra "Simon Bolivar" with which she had toured internationally, mostly throughout Europe.

Percussionist Juan Diego Mora is a second-year student from Tachira, Venezuela, who was the principal of the percussion section of the Regional Orchestra of Táchira. He was a student in the El Sistema program for 11 years before arriving at Bard, to begin his studies in January 2021. He’s currently double majoring in computer science and music, and has a strong interest in composition, conducting, and exploring more instruments outside the percussion section such as piano, cuatro (Venezuelan folk instrument), guitar, and bass.

Andrés Pérez Rangel is a second-year student double-majoring in Computer Science and Violoncello Performance. Andrés performed in many orchestras at his home country such as Orquesta Típica del Zulia, Orquesta Nacional Juvenil de Venezuela, Sinfónica de la Juventud Zuliana Rafael Urdaneta, participating on tours like Gira Cultural por la integración de Latinoamérica y la Paz Mexico-Venezuela. Andrés is part of Peter Wiley's cello studio, the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and will be participating as a cello fellow in "Ascend," a yearly summer program from the Classical Music Institute of San Antonio, TX.