Dr. Luis Casal is a distinguished violinist and violist from Panama, recognized as a “Remarkable Citizen of Panama” in 2015 by the National Commission Pro Civic Values and Morals. As noted by The Panama News, “Panama does have a worthy classical scene, and right at the top of it we find Luis Enrique Casal.” Dr. Casal serves as the vice president of the Sinfonía Concertante Foundation of Panama and is an honorary academic adviser to the Alfredo Saint Malo Music Festival. He teaches violin and viola at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Music Center, and the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts.
Known for his charisma and versatility, Dr. Casal is celebrated on both art and folk music stages. His performance and masterclass engagements span Argentina, the Bahamas, England, France, Japan, Italy, Romania, Spain, the U.S., and Uruguay. An experienced orchestral musician, he has served as Principal Violist ad honorem of the National Symphony of Panama and held key positions with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Butler Symphony Orchestra, and more.
Dr. Casal is a co-founder of the Camerata Alfredo De Saint Malo and performs as concertmaster of the ADCA Symphony Orchestra and the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra, as well as principal violist of the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra. His performances have taken place at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr. Casal’s recent projects include performances with his brother’s piano quartet, Isaac Casal’s Ensemblast Project, and duo recitals with his wife, Anna Majcherczyk.
An advocate for modern composers, he has premiered works by Carlos Bernales, Dinos Constantinides, Alexandra Dubois, Halim El-Dabh, Jorge Figueroa, Mikołaj Górecki, Howard Lew, Guido López Gavilán, Ricardo Risco, Bartosz Smoragiewicz, David Soley, Katia Tiutiunnik, and Norberto Ulloa. Additionally, he composed “8 Etudes for Violin,” commissioned by The Juilliard School for its Music Advancement Program in 2021.
An alumnus of The School for Strings (New York's premier Suzuki-based music school), Dr. Casal is a Suzuki certified instructor where his mentors included Allen Lieb and Ecaterina Gerson. Dr. Casal holds degrees from the University of Florida (BM with honors), Carnegie Mellon University (MM in violin and viola), Indiana University (Performer Certificate), and the University of Oklahoma (DMA). His major teachers include Jorge Vergara, Carmen Cedeño, Cathy Robinson, the Miami String Quartet, Carolyn Huebl, Matthew Dane, Daniel Heiftetz, Atar Arad, and Ilya Kaler.
Website: www.luiscasal.com
