Do you know that Afro-Cuban Music has energizing rhythms, beautiful melodies, and exciting elements of improvisation and is a great fit for diversifying your orchestra class?
Latin music is underrepresented in our orchestras.
Join acclaimed violinist Jesús Florido, and Eclectic-style Orchestra Director Matt Manweiler, as we equip you with tangible resources to make your teaching fun and inclusive. Attendees can participate with their instruments and will be accessible for everyone.
Jesus Florido
- Biographical Information
Jesús Florido combines his classical training with his studies of Afro-Cuban, Jazz, Rock, and Fiddle music to create a compelling artistry balanced on a fine axis of musical virtuosity and pure heart, as evidenced in his debut solo album, Heading North. “My album is a true melting pot, fulfilling a hole of culturally musical integration,” He explains. Jesús incorporates the classical philosophies of his teachers in his many styles.
These influences have guided Jesús through his success as a chamber musician, a studio violinist, as well as a recitalist. Utilizing both acoustic and electric violins in his performances and recordings, Mr. Florido has a large international discography. Additionally, he has shared the stage with the likes of Whitney Houston, Moody Blues, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page among many others. In the fall of 2011, he was the opening act for the Ricky Martin Tour as the Music Director of singer-songwriter David Mazzarri.
Essential to Mr. Florido’s daily musical life is his teaching. As a founding member of the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras, El Sistema, in his native Venezuela, Jesús began his teaching career at an early age. A highly sought-after teacher and clinician, Mr. Florido regularly conducts workshops around the world. In the last 20 years, he has appearances in over 20 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
He emphatically states, “Music has to be part of every child’s development.”
With his violin as a compass, Jesús Florido heads toward a limitless musical horizon.
Matt Manweiler has taught orchestra in the Rock Island School district, an inner-city school district, for 18 years. During his tenure, he has created the visiting artist program that has given students the opportunity to study eclectic styles and perform with world-renowned artists including the Turtle Island String Quartet, Christian Howes, Belford Hernandez, Andrew Collins Trio, Ellis Kell, Mark Wood, and Jesus Florido.
He studied violin at Butler University under Davis Brooks, Larry Shapiro, and Stanley DeRusha. However, Matt's journey into eclectic styles began over twenty years ago when he attended his first of many Mark O'Connor fiddle camps. Through that community, he had the honor of studying with notable eclectic artists like Darol Anger, Matt Glaser, Tracy Silverman, Rachel Barton-Pine, Casey Driessen, Sara Caswell, and the late Johnny Frigo.
More recently he has toured with the multi-platinum band, Foreigner under the direction of Dave Eggar, and also with Mike Compton from O Brother Where Art Thou. He has soloed with and arranged music for the South Kansas Symphony in Winfield Kansas.
In addition to his teaching in Rock Island, he is the director of educational programming for Jesus Florido and Latinfiddler Music Productions and is working with Jesus to provide diverse pedagogy to school orchestras. He has also presented workshops at the Illinois All-State Conference, the International Paul Roland String Pedagogy Workshop, and has been a guest lecturer with the University of Illinois.