IAR would like to congratulate IAR Audio Post-Production and Digital Music Production teacher Flavio Gaete on officially becoming a member of the viola section in the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas. The orchestra’s next performance will be at 7pm on June 12th at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of jazz at Lincoln Center.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Flavio is an active classical performer and has played both acoustic and electronic instruments with Richard Boulanger, Klaresque Ensemble, the Mendes Brothers, and Pharoah’s Daughter. He has degrees from Boston University (M.M., Viola Performance) and Berklee College of Music (B.M., Music Synthesis). He also came up with the idea to do IARecords’ FLUID album, which showcases electronic music produced, recorded, and mixed by IAR students and can be heard on IARadio.

Flavio was invited to play with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas when it was just being formed. Alondra de la Parra, the orchestra’s founder and conductor, and he share a mutual friend, Patricia Abdelnour, who works as the Cultural Attache of the Venezuelan Consulate in Washington, D.C.. Patricia suggested that Flavio play with the orchestra. “I started playing some informal concerts with them at a couple of churches on the Upper West Side (in NYC). Then, a team was put together to manage the orchestra and raise funds. Now, we have a full yearly season of concerts, as well as tours in Vermont, Texas, and Mexico.”

The June 12th Gala Concert will be conducted by de la Parra and will feature soloist and Grammy Award winner Paquito D’Rivera who has become the “consummate multinational ambassador, creating and promoting a cross-culture of music that moves effortlessly among jazz, Latin, and Mozart. Student discounts for performances are available.

Congratulations, Flavio. We’re sure that you will give a dazzling performance. Bravo!