Cognitive science has shown that playing music is one of the most powerful ways to build neural connections, engaging the emotional and rational brain at once. That is one of many reasons music belongs at the center of a complete education, not at its edges.
What makes the difference is expert guidance. A dedicated faculty who know their craft and care about their students is what MFTP provides, and it is the foundation everything else is built on.
Chorus singing is unlike almost any other musical activity, while it doesn’t require much to start it gives back enormously. Singing together has been shown to reduce stress, lift mood, and strengthen the immune system. More than that, it builds connections between people. A chorus connects individuals who might never otherwise share a room, and over time, it turns a group of strangers into a community.
There is something uniquely powerful about music at close range. In a small ensemble, every voice is distinct. The listener hears individual musicians thinking and breathing together, each one fully present, none hidden in the mass of a larger group. It is one of the most intimate and inspiring experiences music can offer.
These ensembles will perform at schools, public spaces, and institutions across the islands, carrying the music beyond our walls and into daily life in the Galápagos.
Guest Artists
Juan Cristóbal Palacios
Venezuelan-born conductor and composer, Juan Cristóbal Palacios trained at Boston University and Yale before making his professional debut with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra at the age of 24. He has led major orchestras and cultural institutions across Venezuela and the United States, and currently serves as Music Director of the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, California.
Michael Martin Kofler
Was appointed principal flutist of the Munich Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado, and two years later became the youngest professor in Austria upon joining the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He has since performed as a soloist with over 100 orchestras worldwide and is widely regarded as one of the foremost flutists of his generation.
Giuseppe Naviglio
Italian baritone Giuseppe Naviglio has performed at the world’s great stages, among them the Konzerthaus Vienna, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, with a repertoire spanning Baroque opera to contemporary premieres. A long-standing collaborator of the «I Turchini» ensemble of Naples, he is also the artistic director of the Harmonia choir and orchestra at the University of Bari.
Kevin Vigneau
A graduate of Yale University’s Doctor in Musical Arts program, Kevin Vigneau has built an international career as orchestral player, soloist, and chamber musician, serving as Principal Oboe of ensembles in South Africa, Portugal, and the United States. He is currently Principal Oboe of the New Mexico Philharmonic and Professor Emeritus of Oboe at the University of New Mexico.
Tomasz Liebig
Born in Warsaw, Tomasz Liebig made his orchestral debut at twelve and has since performed to international acclaim on stages across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, playing on a 1726 Florinus Guidantus violin. Since 2000 he has served as concertmaster of the celebrated Bruckner Orchester Linz in Austria, a position he has held alongside his role with the Spirit of Europe Orchestra.
Paco Lluch
Spanish double bassist Paco Lluch studied under Ludwig Streicher in Vienna and has performed with the National Orchestra of Spain, the Madrid Symphony, and the Valencia Orchestra, among many others. He currently holds the chair of Professor of Double Bass at the José Iturbi Conservatory in Valencia, where he has shaped a new generation of players.
Vladimiras Konstantinovas
Lithuanian conductor, composer, and choirmaster Vladimiras Konstantinovas has led ensembles to prize-winning performances at international competitions in Italy, Switzerland, France, and Austria. A founding Music Director of the Aukuras Choir and a central figure at the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre where he was choirmaster from its launch in 1987. He has shaped the vocal identity of the institution across nearly four decades of opera, oratorio, and concert performances. He brings decades of choral expertise and artistic vision to the MFTP community chorus.