Staff & faculty

In January 1982, Mr. Medina started studying violin with his uncle Jaime Medina at the San Juan School of Music; the following year, he continued his studies with José Figueroa at the Conservatory’s Preparatory School. In 1990, the year of his graduation from the Conservatory, he competed and obtained the position of principal second violin of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. He worked there for nine years. He obtained his master’s degree in the Aaron Copland School of Music in New York with Daniel Phillips where he also studied conducting and composition. His experiences as soloist include a tour playing Pablo Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs in various locations in Puerto Rico, Connecticut and the Dominican Republic. He has been concertmaster of several orchestras on the island including the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra, which he had also conducted. Medina was a member of two professional string quartets and a trio. In this phase, he performed in Venezuela, Aruba, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico. Medina is also a composer and an arranger. His composition titled “Netiquette” was awarded first place in the Puerto Rican “Danza” contest in 2006. Alfred Music has just published his orchestral arrangement of “Virgilia”. As a pedagogue, Medina worked at the San Juan School of Music for twenty years. In addition, he taught violin at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. In the past, some of his former violin students have been selected for auditions at Julliard prep school, Rice University, Chicago’s School of the Arts, and Lynn University in Florida. Medina was serving as Academic Coordinator and Director of the Puerto Rican Youth Symphony Orchestra “Programa 100×35” before relocating to Texas where he now proudly serves as assistant orchestra teacher at Sartartia Middle School.

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