SA'OAXACA TEAM
LEADERSHIP
Gwendolyn Matias-Ryan
Directora Artistica - SA'OAXACA Festival Internacional de Cuerdas Oaxaca
Gwendolyn is a Mexican-American violist who obtained her Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in viola performance from Baylor University and more recently obtained a post-graduate viola performance degree at the University of Michigan. She acted as principal violist in the Oaxacan Symphony in 2015-2016 and has participated in prestigious chamber music festivals including Bowdin International Music Festival and Center Stage Strings. She was also the concerto competition winner in the Mid-Texas Symphony Concerto Competition 2013. She was invited to take part in the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Piobbico, Italy, summer of 2018 and was invited as a guest artist on the Rutenberg Chamber Music Series in Tampa, Florida. In addition to her performance experience, she is a certified Suzuki violin/viola teacher and has taught in both Mexico and the U.S. She recently won a prestigious Mexican cultural grant, (FONCA) for SA'OAXACA, 2021.
ADMINISTRATION
Martha Melisa Moreyra García
Administrator - SA'OAXACA Oaxaca Strings International Music Festival
Originally from Mexico City, Martha graduated from the Conservatorio Nacional de México with an undergraduate degree in Violin Performance. She has studied under Rosendo Monterrey, Pastor Solís, Arón Bitrán, Mario Lavista and Armando Luna, among others. Her love for chamber music led her to found the Ensamble Cronopios en 2004. She has participated and performed in over 12 theatre productions since 2009 and was a member of the Sinfónica de Oaxaca from 2015 to 2016 under the direction of Juan Trigos. Currently she acts as a member of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río under the direction of Jorge Mester. Martha is also a certified Suzuki teacher and a member of the Suzuki Associations of the Americas and Asociación Suzuki de México (AMMS) and has led various Suzuki coarses in Mexico city and Veracruz. Alongside her music degree, she obtained a degree in Psychology from the UNAM, Campus Ciudad Universitaria.
María Guadalupe Castañeda Romano
Administrative assistant
María obtained her undergraduate degree in Science Education and has participated in academic events at the Mexican national level including the Segundo Congreso Internacional "Formación de Profesionales de la Educación: Perspectivas y Desafíos Emergentes" and the 3rd Encuentro Nacional de Gestión Cultural. Throughout her high school years she participated in numerous courses pertaining to the relationship between music education and child development.
Currently she works with the Facultad de Bellas Artes within the Cultural Management Department.
José Manuel García Viloria
Designer
José has produced a wide variety of audio visual media for institutions and private business throughout his professional career. He holds an undergraduate degree in graphic design from the Universidad Mesoamericada de Oaxaca, and a masters degree in type design from Gestalt - Universidad del Diseño en Veracruz (Mexico City Campus).
His interdisciplinary work in web design has led to the development of projects of various natures within the arts and culture sector. José has created graphics and designs for private business and academic institutions such as the Facultad de Bellas Artes of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Oaxaca, editorial design for the Instituto Estatal de Bachilleratos de Oaxaca as well as independent architectural design for FACDEARQ. His involvement in the arts is long standing and has consisted of developing, producing, and working on the promotional team for various artistic groups including the Cuarteto de Cuerdas Xquenda, singer Jazz Matías, tenor Luis Adrián and the internationally recognized trombone player Faustino Díaz. As a designer, he has produced and supervised for international music festivals including the Festival Internacional Guitarrístico EBAUABJO and the Encuentro Nacional de Gestión Cultural México, which was held virtually in its third year.
Currently, José works as collaborator on an array of digital projects, in addition to being a proud member of the SA’OAXACA team.
Ryszard (Ricardo) Rodys
Coordinator - Fonoteca Juan León Mariscal
Born in Varsovia, Poland, Ricardo studied Organ Performance and Gregorian Chant in the Escuela de Música Sacra de la Arquidiócesis de Varsovia. He was the organist for the Iglesia Madre de Dios Auxilio de los Fieles in Varsovia. He teaches music courses in the Seminario de Oaxaca, has directed the Ciudad de los Niños Choir, and worked in the Historic Organ Institute in Oaxaca. He has participated in multiple research projects including MUSICAT and Ritual Sonoro Catedralicio. Ricardo currently acts as coordinador of the Fonoteca Juan León Mariscal, director of the Oaxacan Cathedral Choir and music professor in the Facultad de Bellas Artes - UABJO. He has resided in Oaxaca since 2003.