Diego Caetano
Piano/Artistic Director
Brazilian pianist Diego Caetano was considered by the Italian newspaper La Stampa "a gifted pianist with a brilliant technique and musicality." He has been performing widely as soloist and chamber musician throughout the USA, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Asia, and Africa, including performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, Yokohama's Philia Hall, Lisbon's Palácio da Foz, Rio de Janeiro's Sala Cecília Meireles, and London's Royal Albert Hall.
He has worked with conductors such as Michael Palmer, Paul Hostetter, Neil Thomson, Rodrigo de Carvalho, Guilherme Bernstein, Joaquim Jayme, Daniel Guedes, and others. He has been featured in recitals and concerto appearances at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Louisiana International Piano Series, Durango's Conservatory Music of the Mountains, Bangkok's Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy, and Brasília's International Music Festival. An advocate for contemporary music, he has premiered works by composers Robert Spillman, Anne Guzzo, Marlos Nobre, Roger Goeb, and Guilherme Bernstein.
Dr. Caetano received the top prizes in more than fifty national and international piano competitions, including Bonn Prize International Music Competition (2020), Bucharest Pro Piano International Piano Competition (2018), London's Grand Prix Virtuoso (2016), Carnegie Hall Debut International Concerto Competition (2014), MTNA Young Artist - Steinway & Sons (2011), "Spartacco Rossi" Piano Competition (2010), "Arnaldo Estrella" Piano Competition (2008), and many more. He has also won special awards including Best Interpreter of Brazilian Composers, Best Interpreter of Spanish Composers, and Prix d'Excellence in Performance.
Dr. Caetano graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Master of Music degree from the University of Wyoming, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Universidade Federal de Goiás (Brazil).
Diego Caetano maintains an active schedule as an educator. He is the co-founder and the Director of Keyboard Studies at Ávila International Music Festival in Ávila (Spain).
Dr. Caetano is an Assistant Professor of Piano at Sam Houston State University, and a Shigeru Kawai Artist.
Lana Kuščer
Flute
Lana Kuščer performed as concerto soloist in Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, and Houston’s Jones Hall. She has given recitals throughout Europe, United States and Asia, including performances at London’s Houses of Parliament and Lizbon’s Palácio Foz. She performed Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto at the Sarasota Music Festival, and was a featured artist at Festival ARTIS, Imago Sloveniae, London August Music Festival, Shanghai Conservatory Jazz Music Season, and as contemporary chamber musician at Opus XXI Festival in France and Germany.
Kuščer is the Flute Professor at Sam Houston State University and a member of Richardson Symphony Orchestra, with past positions including Orchester Jakobsplatz München, Classical Concert Chamber Orchestra, and collaborations with English National Opera. Prizes include Elise Meyer Competition (Germany), Euritmia (Italy), TEMSIG (Slovenia), UNT Concerto Competition, and the National Presser Foundation Music Award (USA).
Kuščer is an Honors graduate of Royal College of Music London (BM), Hochschule für Musikund Theater Hamburg (MM), Royal Danish Academy of Music (MM exchange), and holds a Doctorate degree from the University of North Texas, where she was a Toulouse Fellowship Scholar.