November 8th

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Adán Vásquez is a versatile and much-acclaimed musician who has gained renown for his artistry on the harp both as a soloist and as an ensemble player. Equally at ease in the traditional and contemporary repertoires, Vásquez has won accolades for his expertise in the physically demanding Salzedo harp technique. He began his musical studies at an early age in the National Conservatory of Music in his native Dominican Republic where he studied with Mirla Salazar. In 1989, he was awarded a prestigious scholarship by the Dominican government and moved to Chile to study with concert harpist Manuel Jimenez at the Facultad de Artes at the University of Chile. Later, he relocated to New York City where he completed his B.A. at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and studied with the well-known harpist Sara Cutler. Shortly thereafter, he received an M.A. from the Manhattan School of Music where he continued advanced studies under the renowned harpist Lucile Lawrence.

Vásquez has appeared as a guest harpist with numerous symphony orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile, the Dominican National Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Heights Symphony Orchestra in New York. In 2004, he was invited to participate in the First International Harp Festival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he also lectured and conducted Master Classes on the Salzedo technique. Vásquez has also premiered works especially commissioned for him by contemporary composers such as William Dickerson, Gary Heckard, and Eugenio Escobar. He has a deep commitment to the neighborhood of Washington Heights, where he serves on the faculty of Gregorio Luperón High School as Music Department Coordinator. Since 2009, he has served as artistic director and president of the Association of Dominican Classical Artists, Inc., the Washington Heights Community Conservatory, and the Camerata Washington Heights.