ENSEMBLES 2025

Orquesta Sinfónica Antonio Paoli

Founded in 2021, the Orquesta Sinfónica Antonio Paoli (OSAP) was created with the vision of transforming the lives of young Puerto Ricans through the power of music. Based in the municipality of Caguas, this group brings together over 80 musicians, mostly aged between 14 and 18, from 23 towns across the island, representing every Escuela Libre de Música and Escuelas de Bellas Artes in Puerto Rico. Under the direction of Professor Leticia Medina and Assistant Conductor Benito Díaz, along with a team dedicated to artistic excellence and human growth, the orchestra has become a space where Puerto Rican youth nurture not only their musical talent but also core values such as discipline, collaboration, and social commitment. Since its inception, OSAP has participated in prominent national and international events. Among its most notable performances are the acclaimed Cinema Sinfónico concert series, presented in the renowned Felipe "La Voz" Rodríguez Hall of the Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas; the Puerto Rican Government Inauguration Ceremonies, Expo Moda 2023, and APAOSS. Additionally, the orchestra has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Ezequiel Colón, Lourdes Toledo, Arcángel, Chucho Avellanet, and Haciendo Punto en Otro Son. In 2023, OSAP represented not only Puerto Rico but all Latin America for the first time at the prestigious Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, showcasing the high level of performance and passion of its young musicians. In 2025, the orchestra will return to the festival in the competitive category, alongside a selection from the Corillo Andante, an advanced choir from the Escuela Libre de Música Antonio Paoli, which will participate in the celebration category. This edition's repertoire will span from classical works to autochthonous and Latin American pieces, reaffirming the group's commitment to promoting Puerto Rican cultural identity. The Orquesta Sinfónica Antonio Paoli continues establishing itself as an artistic and educational benchmark on the island, inspiring new generations to dream, create, and build a better future through music.

Leticia Medina Díaz

Conductor

Professor Leticia Medina Díaz was born into a family of musical background. She began her musical studies of the violin with her father, the professor Jaime E. Medina. At the same time, she took piano classes with the professor Carmelina Figueroa. She studied at the Specialized School of Music of San Juan and at the Preparatory School of the Conservatory of Puerto Rico, where she later became a violin professor and the director of the Elemental Orchestra of Puerto Rico for 15 years. Later on, she enrolled in the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in violin and her Master’s Degree in music education. Mrs. Medina has studied orchestral conducting in South America, United States, and Puerto Rico. She has also taken courses in the teaching method of Suzuki for violin in Chicago and Puerto Rico. She is the president and founder of Borinquen String Fest and of the Juvenile Symphonic Band of Puerto Rico. She is a member of the Philharmonic Orchestra Arturo Somohano, and also the conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Philharmonic of Puerto Rico. She is currently a violin professor at the Specialized School of Music Antonio Paoli of Caguas and the conductor of both the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of said school.

Benito Díaz Piñero

Conductor

Benito Díaz Piñero was born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. His music studies first began when he joined the band program of Ramón Power y Giralt High School, where he studied with professors Germán Peña and Jan Duclerc. He enrolled in the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico, where he studied for his bachelor’s degree in French horn with Professor Luis Arroyo. Afterwards he obtained a second Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, achieving both degrees with the honorific title of Summa Cum Laude. During his bachelors’ degree studies, he stood out as a soloist in both the Symphonic and the Chamber Orchestras of Puerto Rico. Later he continued his studies by earning a full scholarship to the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied under Professor Peter Landgren. Mr. Diaz was a member of the Band of Puerto Rico, the quintets Metalissimo and Gabrielli, the Puerto Rico Chamber Ensemble and “Camerata Caribe”. He also belonged to the ensemble “Cameristas” of the Casals festival in Puerto Rico. Mr. Diaz has been able to stand out as a music arranger for some of Puerto Rico’s best ensembles. He has worked as a music director of several music groups for students such as The Juvenile Symphonic Orchestra of the Llorens Torres school, both the Juvenile Symphonic Orchestra and the Concert Band of the Specialized Music School in Humacao and all the bands of the Specialized Music School in San Juan. Additionally, he has conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico as an invited director. In the present, Mr. Diaz occupies the position of first chair of the French horn section in both the Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico and in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico. He has participated as a soloist in these orchestras numerous times. In addition, he works as a French horn professor, as a music theory professor and as a conductor of the Intermediate Band of the Specialized Music School Antonio Paoli of Caguas.

Competition Program