PROGRAM

From Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)

  • Molto allegro

World Youth Orchestra’s Ambassador Ensemble
Paula Madrigal, conductor.

Winners of Orquesta Northwest’s 2025 Call for Performers:

Rainbow at Macchu Pichu, for viola, strings, and celesta, CWV 68 - Hwaen Ch'uqi

  • Pamela Liu, viola

  • Hwaen Ch'uqi, celesta

  • Ballard Civic Orchestra

  • Paula Madrigal, conductor

Sonatina CWV 61, for violin and piano - Hwaen Ch'uqi
Estrellita - Manuel Ponce (1882-1948), arr. for violin and piano by J. Heifetz

  • Duo Mìlǔ

  • Pamela Liu, violin

  • Hwaen Ch'uqi, piano

Malagueña, Op. 21, No. 1 - Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)
O canto do cisne negro - Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Ave Maria - Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Un solo cuerpo - Isabella Calmet (b. 1996)

  • Gustavo Berho, violin

  • Wendy Wang, piano

Scherzino, for flute and piano - Eduardo Hernández Moncada (1899-1995)
Sonata simple, for flute and piano - Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras (1927-2012)

  1. Allegro non troppo

  2. Andante

  3. Allegro

From Quartet (Trio) in G major for flute, viola and piano, Wq. 95: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)

III. Presto

Le Grand Tango, for viola and piano - Astor Piazzolla

  • Teresa Caballero, flute

  • Rafael Howell-Flores, viola

  • Ricardo de la Torre, piano

About the Artist

Ambassador Ensemble

Twelve of the most advanced musicians from the World Youth Orquesta have stepped forward as cultural ambassadors. They’re already preparing performances across the region, connecting directly with audiences, and growing as artists and leaders—representing the next generation of music-driven community builders. World Youth Orchestra.

Students involved in this program are given access to instruments, private instruction, and group instruction in an orchestra setting free of charge.  The World Youth Orchestra, Paula Madrigal artistic director, is the primary focus of Young Music Outreach, and has grown to include strings, winds, and brass.  Alumni of the World Youth Orchestra have gone on to play as soloists with the Ballard Civic Orchestra, and have received numerous grants and scholarships for their pursuit of higher education. 

Ballard Civic Orchestra

The Ballard Civic Orchestra is a professional and volunteer orchestra led by music director Paula Madrigal, which features Latinx music, guest artists and composers while highlighting Latino musical arts and culture. The Ballard Civic Orchestra strives to connect with its culturally diverse audience through music and the arts.

Paula Madrigal

Paula Madrigal is a Mexican-American conductor who has studied music and education in Mexico, Spain, and the U.S.  While pursuing her career goals as a conductor, she has been a disciple of some of the most important Mexican conductors, including Guillermo Salvador and Enrique Arturo Dimecke. Ms. Madrigal holds a bachelor's degree in cello performance from the University of Guadalajara and a Masters Degree from Universidad Autonoma of Guadalajara. She is passionate about classical music and Latino culture. As a cellist, teaching artist, and conductor, she has created and participated in numerous projects, providing classical music experiences that promote inclusion and intercultural understanding in Mexico and in the U.S. 

In 2014 she founded the Seattle World Youth Orchestra program for talented youth in Seattle.  She also co-founded Orquesta Northwest in 2019 and has served as the Artistic Director of its programs and projects, including the annual Latino Chamber Music Festival, Ballard Civic Orchestra, North Seattle Mariachi, World Youth Orchestra, annual Cascade Conducting & Composing Masterclass.

Ms. Madrigal has received multiple grants and awards from the Office of Arts & Culture in Seattle, Univision, the Latino Community Fund, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Conductors award from Opera America for the Opera Frida. She has served for multiple years as a Seattle Music Commissioner. In 2021she joined Seattle Opera’s Creation Lab where she conducted the premieres of  nine new works, including the first chamber opera composed by a black composer.

Ms. Madrigal’s performing and conducting are charged by the joys and passions of the Latino culture. The art she presents is a complete experience for the audience. With this, she aims to create a profound social impact. She has a deep interest in making music that affects consciousness and explores a mixture of tradition with the modernity of technology and new ideas. Her art expresses the integration of her Mexican heritage and her American everyday life. As an artist wishing to express ideas, social justice and the value of excellence are her goals. Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporánean, including choral works and Latin music. She currently is conducting the chamber opera Blood Dawn of the Inti Sun and will be a guest conductor for the Northwest Mahler Festival in June 2025.

Duo Mìlǔ - Hwaen Ch’uqi

“This is true talent, a genuine diamond that you so rarely see.”–St. Petersburg Times

An Inca Indian and a native of Perú, pianist Hwaen Ch’uqi is a world-renowned soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He has performed throughout the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Russia, Taiwan, Japan, and Perú at such venues as Seiji Ozawa Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Benaroya Hall, the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, and Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is co-founder of several duos – including Duo Q’inti with pianist Emi Okumura, The Fantastic Two with pianist Chloe Lo, and Duo Mìlǔ with violinist/violist Pamela Liu.

Mr. Ch’uqi’s gifts as a composer of the highest order are being increasingly recognized. In 2009, he, in collaboration with five other composer-pianists, was commissioned to produce a second book – in like manner and structure – of Hexameron Variations. The work was a feature of the 2010 conference of the American Liszt Society. In March, 2012, he was a finalist at the 17th International Piano Duo Composition Competition in Tokyo, Japan. More recently, he has received commissions from the Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra, the Myanmar Music Festival, the University of British Columbia School of Music, James VanDemark of the Eastman School of Music, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Cuzco Symphony Orchestra. He has completed a massive piano sonata, several chamber sonatas, two piano quintets, a song cycle, suites for piano solo as well as for piano four hands and two pianos, a children’s musical, and a concerto for the Inca instrument called the kena. He was selected by the New York State MTA to be their Commissioned Composer of 2022, and his four-hand music was used as required repertoire for the Final Round of the 2023 International Piano Duet and Duo Competition held at Ohio University.

Mr. Ch’uqi’s published output includes four CDs that feature him as composer, interpreter, and improviser. A growing number of his compositional scores is available. As well, he is penning a partial autobiography entitled “The Redemption of Hwaen Ch’uqi”.

Mr. Ch’uqi holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied under Natalya Antonova. He quickly distinguished himself as one of the rare pianists to be three times invited as a fellow to the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center; there, he studied with such luminaries as Gilbert Kalish and Leon Fleisher. He was a semifinalist at the Second Sviatoslav Richter International Piano Competition in Moscow and was awarded the Special Prize.

It is Mr. Ch’uqi’s fervent prayer that such music as he is privileged to render might serve as a catalyst for wondrous change in the lives of all who hear it.

Pamela Liu

Pamela Liu is a violinist widely recognized for her expressive artistry and dedication to music education in the Pacific Northwest. For over two decades, she has been a dynamic force in the region’s classical music scene, seamlessly blending performance and pedagogy.

Pamela began her formal training at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance. She then joined the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra in Taipei, Taiwan, enriching her experience as an orchestral musician. Returning to the U.S., she completed her Master’s degree in Violin Performance at the University of Washington, where she continued to develop as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator.

A passionate mentor, Pamela works closely with youth music organizations across the Puget Sound area, including Edmonds College, Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestras, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, Cascade Youth Symphony, and Musicworks Northwest. Her approach to teaching combines technical precision with warmth and encouragement, and reflects her belief in the power of music to build inclusive, supportive communities.

As a performer, she maintains an active and diverse schedule. She is a featured artist in the Music at the Museum concert series at the Cascadia Art Museum and regularly appears with regional orchestras including the Yakima, Helena, and Tacoma Symphonies. She also performs with Tutti Dolce, a violin-guitar duo co-founded with her husband, guitarist Chris Liu, known for its engaging blend of classical and contemporary repertoire.

In 2023, Pamela reunited with pianist Hwaen Chu’qi after nearly a decade, forming Duo Milu. Together, they’ve appeared in the North Sound Church Music Series, Stage7 Piano Series, Cascadia Art Museum, Latino Music Festival, and with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. Upcoming in 2025, the duo will premiere Piano Quintet No. 3, co-commissioned by Edmonds College, and embark on an Asia tour including Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea—alongside collaborators from the Helena Symphony and Idaho State University.

Whether performing or teaching, Pamela Liu continues to inspire with her musicianship, versatility, and heartfelt commitment to the arts.

Gustavo Berho

Gustavo Berho is a Seattle native who began playing violin at 9. As the son of immigrant parents, Gustavo grew up with an appreciation for his cultural heritage from Latin America. He developed a strong passion for classical music from his time at his middle school orchestra, a passion which would lead him to the Seattle Youth Symphony, and to study under the tutelage of Margaret Pressley. He went on to pursue a music degree in college, but left school to find his own path as a freelance musician in the Seattle area. 

During this time, Gustavo has been invited to play with professional musicians from all parts of the Pacific Northwest including current and former members of the Seattle Symphony and Symphony Tacoma.

In 2023 he made his first solo appearance with Orquesta Northwest performing the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto in B-minor. Since then he studied with Gerald Elias, former Associate Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony with the idea of applying to school to finish his studies. 

Gustavo’s involvement in the greater Seattle area has been as a musician, instructor, and supporter of the vision of providing accessible quality musical experiences for people from all walks of life. Gustavo is now finishing his studies at the University of Washington under the tutelage of Ron Patterson.

Outside of playing the violin, Gustavo likes to spend his free time going on bike rides, reading, spending time with friends and listening to music from a wide array of genres.

Wendy Wang

Wendy Wang, from Guangdong, China, started playing the piano at the age of 4. At 16, she embarked on a year-long cultural exchange in Massachusetts. During this time, Wendy had the privilege of performing at the pre-concert event for the Tenth Van Cliburn Winner Jon Nakamatsu's concert in Cape Cod and performed in his masterclass at Cape Cod Music Conservatory. Wendy’s story and piano accomplishments were profiled in the Cape Cod Chronicle. 

Facing a difficult decision between piano and computer science, Wendy chose the latter and earned her Bachelor's Degree majoring in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of British Columbia in 2018. Upon graduation, she joined Microsoft as a Software Engineer in Vancouver, Canada. As happens with many people, music went into the background as school and career commitments took over. After relocating to Seattle for her job, Wendy resumed piano lessons after a five-year hiatus. 

In 2023, she clinched a gold medal at the Viennese Classical Festival, organized by the Seattle International Piano Competition committee. As a soloist at the Tacoma Concerto Festival in 2021 and 2024, Wendy performed Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 and Saint Saens Concerto No. 2. In January 2025, Wendy performed Carmina Burana with the rest of the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra at Benaroya Hall, playing on both piano and celesta. In June 2025, she was selected to compete at the PianoTexas Festival Teachers and Amateurs Concerto Competition, where she played Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Wendy’s piano talent was profiled in the 'In Real Life' show interviewed by Charlotte Yarkoni, the President of Commerce and Ecosystems division at Microsoft. In addition, she shared her stories as both pianist and software engineer in a book titled “The Women of Microsoft: Empowering Stories from the Minds that Coded the World”, which was published by Wiley in August 2025, just in time to celebrate Microsoft’s 50 years’ anniversary. Wendy is deeply grateful to her family, friends, teachers—current teacher Seattle pianist Mark Salman, Dr. Robin McCabe, Michi North, Loretta Slovak —and her coworkers for supporting her passion for playing the piano throughout her journey.

Teresa Caballero

A native from of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She began her musical studies at the age of 11. Graduated with Honors from the Faculty of Music of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon with a Bachelor’s degree in music. In 2005 Teresa won first place at Mexico´s National Council for Culture and Arts Competition (CONARTE) for Community Involvement through the arts by category with a series of authoring concerts for children. She has participated as a flutist in different musical groups including principal flutist at Nuevo Leon Symphony Youth Orchestra, Monterrey, second flute at the Faculty of Music Chamber Orchestra (FAMUS), principal flute at Symphonic Band of Nuevo Leon, flutist in the Symphonic Band of Zacatecas. Currently she is principal flutist at Orquesta Northwest and performs in different chamber groups in the Seattle area. She has a private Flute studio and is a music teacher in preschool.

Rafael H. Howell Flores

Rafael was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. He started his musical studies at Conservatorio de Castella where he earned his high school diploma and an honorable mention in violin performance. In 2002 he won the Monroe Scholarship to study at Loyola University New Orleans, violin and viola. In 2005 due to hurricane Katrina he relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he completed his undergraduate viola performance degree and then earned his Masters in Music Performance at University of New Mexico with Kimberly Fredenburgh. Rafael has played in numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles including The World Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, Santa Fe Symphony, San Juan Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Ensamble Tarrazú and The World Orchestra Soloists. Now established in Seattle, Rafael freelances with different orchestras throughout the Puget Sound, he also has an active violin-viola studio in Issaquah and serves as a violin coach for Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Ricardo de la Torre


Active as a performer, teacher, adjudicator, curator, and scholar, Dr. Ricardo de la Torre has played in concert venues in North America and Europe and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Mexico and the U.S. A finalist and prize winner in several competitions, he has held grants and scholarships from different cultural and government institutions. He is frequently heard as part of Duo Powers-de la Torre, which he forms with Dr. Lark Powers. The duo will release its first album, dedicated to the music of Seattle-based Uruguayan-American composer Miguel del Águila, next year.

Born in Mexico City, Ricardo attended the pre-college program at Escuela Superior de Música in his hometown. He later received a Bachelor’s degree with honors from this institution. He continued his studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he received a Master of Music degree and went on to graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he worked as a teaching assistant and collaborative pianist. His main teachers include Ana María Tradatti, Fernando García Torres, Evelyne Brancart and David Korevaar.

He is currently an instructor at Pacific Lutheran University and the Community Music program at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.

Also active in scholarly endeavors, Ricardo has been invited to present lectures and lecture-recitals at local, regional, national, and international conferences and has had articles published by peer-reviewed journals in Mexico, Colombia and the U.S. He regularly writes program notes for Mexico’s National Autonomous University’s professional orchestra OFUNAM.

Ricardo worked as Curator of Art and Music at Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood and directs Orquesta Northwest’s Latino Chamber Music Festival every Fall.

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