Joaquin Encinias was born into one of the few flamenco families in America.  Encinias learned flamenco as a way of life from his grandmother Clarita and mother Eva Encinias. He began his first lessons in flamenco from his grandmother, Clarita, and joined her performance company at age five. At age twelve, he went on to become a soloist in his mother’s company.  Encinias recognized the advantages of a well-rounded dance training on went on to explore various techniques.  Ultimately, Encinias remained true to his roots and returned to flamenco.  Encinias has worked closely with world-renowned artists including Antonio Canales, Eva La Yerbabuena, Los Farrucos and Manolete. In 1999, he worked with director Debbie Allen in the production Soul Possessed, which premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  He has also been a featured soloist in Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque.  

His greatest contributions to flamenco can be seen by looking at both his school and his company. In 1999 The Conservatory of Flamenco Arts opened under the direction of Encinias and mother Eva.  Since that time Encinias has gone on to copy write his unique methodology, the only codified and copy-written flamenco teaching methodology in the United States.  Encinias’ company, Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company is the only professional flamenco repertory company in the United States.  As Artistic Director, Encinias has amassed a repertory of over fifteen pieces of original flamenco choreography from some of the most influential flamenco artists in the world including Juana Amaya, Isreal Galvan, La Tati, and Alejandro Granados.  Encinias’ vision for Yjastros is to preserve the beauty of traditional flamenco while imbuing it with a unique American aesthetic and energy.  

As Artistic Director of Yjastros, Encinias has been a prolific choreographer.  Encinias choreographs an average of two to three new works per year with five pieces of the current Yjastros repertory choreographed by Encinias.  Encinias has been able to redefine flamenco choreography by truly understanding flamenco movement, having an innovative and visionary use of space and demonstrating profound fluency in flamenco musical composition.  Encinias not only choreographs the movement but also arranges the music including guitar, percussion, and vocal accompaniment for each piece.  Encinias’ choreographic range is immense as his portfolio includes works influenced by esculea bolera, classical Spanish dance, and, modern dance.

In 2010, Encinias’ founded Tierra Adentro: The New Mexico School fo Academics, Art and Artesanía, a public charter school.  Through Tierra Adentro, Encinias’ artistic and educational vision impacts 250 students, grades six through 12.

Encinias has begun a new generation of artistry though his innovation and dedication to the art form.  Today, he is one of the most highly sought-after flamenco artists and instructors in the nation because of his unique exposition of technique and craft.  His musical talent and deep understanding of the language of flamenco make him an exceptional and valuable instructor and choreographer.

Jennifer Lapple is a well-known flutist and pedagogue in the Washington D.C.-Northern Virginia metro area. She has appeared as a soloist with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. and the Fairfax (VA) Symphony Orchestra, and she has performed abroad, notably in Italy with the Rome Festival Orchestra and in Luxembourg with the Echternach Festival Orchestra and the Ecole de Musique de Differdange Flute Choir. As an adjunct professor at George Mason University, Ms. Lapple teaches applied flute; conducts the university flute choir and Symphonic Band; and lectures on “The Art of Teaching Music,” an undergraduate class in music wellness. In addition, she maintains a large private studio and directs Flutopia, a prominent high school wind ensemble. She plays with several regional groups, including the Pan American Symphony, the American Pops Orchestra, and FUSE, a new music ensemble. She is also the Music Director of the Judith Lapple Summer Woodwind Camp, an annual Northern Virginia workshop in wind pedagogy for high school students and undergraduate music majors. Ms. Lapple holds degrees from Yale University (MM) and Miami University (BM) of Ohio, and she is currently working on her Doctorate in music performance and education at George Mason University. She dedicates her work to the life and memory of her mother.

Created in 1989 in the framework of the Intercommunal Music School (Saint-Calais, Sarthe, France), the choir "Emichante" has fifty singers and is conducted by Evelyne Béché since September 2005. The choir went on tour in Germany and in Belgium. From 2011, it has performed several times the Misatango by Martín Palmeri accompanied by the composer on piano and by Wolfgang Weniger on the bandoneon, then the Requiem by Gabriel Fauré, and the Missa Katharina by Jacob de Haan (choir and wind ensemble). The repertoire of the choir ranges from polyphonic music of the 16th century (Monteverdi) to contemporary song.

Glicínia Mendes - Conductor Degree in Composition and Conducting and also Degree - Music at the University of Brasilia (1985); Degree in Modern Languages - English at the Federal University of Goiás (1980). Conducted training courses in Orchestral and Choral Conducting with Conductors Gerald Kegelman (Germany), Manoel Prestamo (USA), John Pool (England) and Manuel Ivo Cruz (Portugal). Own compositions and arrangements for solo instruments, chamber music, choir and orchestra. She served at Brasília’s Music School since 1980 as music teacher and as coordinator of orchestras. Founding conductor of Brazilian Senate Choir since 1986. As a conductor she has performed throughout the country and in South America, Europe and North America.

Heike Ittmann studied Protestant church music with organ and conducting as the main subjects at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Heidelberg. In 1999 she took her A-exams with honors in the subjects organ and organ improvisation. She continued her studies with an artistic postgraduate class of Prof. Johannes Geffert at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. Aside from that she attented master classes of internationally well reknowned organists and conductors, among others Jean Boyer, Ewald Kooiman, Jon Laukvik and Ludger Lohmann. Since January 2003 Heike Ittmann has been cantor of Lampertheim, conductor of the Dekanatskantorei Ried and organist at the local Protestant cathedral. The artist plays soloist organ recitals and regularly conducts great concerts with her choir. Heike Ittmann's artistic profile features premiere performances of contemporary compositions as well as recordings for broadcasting network services, which has made her artistry known to a broad audience in Europe.

Reiner Schneider-Waterberg was born in Namibia. He first studied economics, mathematics and classical languages at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and was subsequently awarded a scholarship to Cambridge, UK, to study International Relations. There he sang in the Trinity College Choir. He then studied singing at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. In 2003 he joined the vocal ensemble Singer Pur that has performed in over 50 countries. He conducts two church choirs, a children’s choir, a male choir and an old age settlement singing group, and coaches a youth club at the Theatre Basel.

The choir St. Stephan was founded more than 100 years ago. As written in the constitution of the choir, the main purpose of the choir is to support services with sacred music. The choir is open to everybody and, with the exception of the choir director, consists of amateur singers. In recent years, under the direction of Reiner Schneider-Waterberg, the repertoire of the choir St. Stephan began to  grown in line with its size: the music of Heinrich Schütz, John Rutter, Antonio Vivaldi, Claudia Monteverdi, as well as a Gospel Mass from Robert Ray, or the Sacred Concert of Duke Ellington made a varied program. Highlights were Messiah of G. F. Händel and Psalm 42 of F. Mendelson. In 2014, Martin Palmeri is after his Misa Tango the second time responsible for a highlight in Therwil Switzerland, the world premiere of “Tango Gloria”.

The Madrigal Choir was founded in 1976 by Michael Sölter, who directed it until 2006. During this time, the choir sang many great works of sacred music such as the Johannes Passion by JS Bach and The Creation of J. Haydn, and made a name for themselves in Gelsenkirchen. Since 2006, the choir has been directed by Martina Wronski. It is her desire to show that in every century, varying styles of valuable and beautiful music can be found. The choir's repertoire has thus changed quite a bit. There are works such as the Requiem by Duruflé, a capella music such as Herr, lass meine Klage by Johann Hermann Schein or O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen, as well as the Misa a Buenos Aires which was studied and made into a quality piece of work by Palmeri.
A concert tour to Newcastle, England, and a guest concert for the Misa Tango a Buenos Aires in the Christ Church of Recklinghausen were particular highlights for the choir. But an important part of the choir is also community work. The Madrigal Choir sings on many occasions and holidays in the Church of the Apostles in Gelsenkirchen.

This chamber ensemble is integrated by choristers from different choirs that are led by the Director Martin Palmeri in Buenos Aires (Choirs of Vicente Lopez, Faculty of Law, Esclavas Sagrado Corazón School and Argentina Modelo School). These choirs have been dedicated to interpreting compositions from different periods and styles, both "a capella" and as “choral symphony”, accompanied by qualified orchestras. All its members have performed his Misa a Buenos Aires on several occasions since its premiere in 1996, not only in Buenos Aires (churches, theaters, Golden Hall of the Teatro Colón, National Radio), but also abroad (Utrecht -Netherlands- and Milan -Italy-).

Saul Zaks has been a conductor of the Jerusalem Kaprizma Ensemble for Contemporary Music and the Jerusalem Academy of Music Ensemble for Contemporary Music and a Guest conductor for The Danish Radio Choir. A Lecturer at the Musicology Institute, University of Copenhagen and at the Danish National Academy of Music, he is also the founder and conductor of the University of Southern Denmark Symphony Orchestra.
Zaks is a guest professor in choral conducting at the University of Buenos Aires, Universidad Católica de Asunción del Paraguay, Conservatorio Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad Federal de Rio de Janeiro and Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba. He specializes in music from Latin America and has performed with, amongst others, the composer Ariel Ramirez and the singer Mercedes Sosa.

Saul Zaks completed his conducting studies at The Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance, Israel, with Prof. Mendi Rodán and received a diploma in musical theory, history of western music and conducting from the Danish National Academy of Music.
Zaks received additional conducting studies with Prof. Jorma Panula, Jin Wang and Andrew Parrott.
Recording of the month in Europe www.musicweb-international.com/.....
Nomination to Danish Grammy (P2 Prisen) www.dacapo-records.dk/.....