Juanita Leal, Soprano, graduated from the Musical Studies program with an emphasis in Voice Performance from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.
As a part of vocal groups and choirs such as Sociedad Coral Santa Cecilia, Coro de la Ópera de Colombia, and the choir of the undergraduate program at Javeriana, she has had experience singing in many instances, such as the opera productions Otello by Giuseppe Verdi (musical direction by Hilary Griffiths, stage direction by Willy Decker); Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini among others. With the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana choir, she had the opportunity of singing with the rock band The Rolling Stones and was the chosen soloist for the recently composed Salmo por las víctimas de la Violencia by Johann Hassler.
Her soloist career includes performing in the opera music festival in Bogotá “Ópera al Parque” held in years 2015, 2016, and 2017, and has participated as a chorist in other classical music festivals such as “Bogotá is Mozart” and “Bogotá is Schumann, Schubert, and Brahms”. In 2022 her operatic debut was in the role of Monica in the opera The Medium by Gian Carlo Menotti.
Her teaching career started in 2013, and her passion for teaching voice led her to be the founder of her voice studio: the Vox Lab, voice studio.
Currently, she is enrolled in the master’s degree program in Voice Performance at Duquesne University with Dr. Meghan DeWald.
PCO Guest Artists
Juanita Leal
Alyssa Schwartz
Dr. Alyssa Schwartz comes from Jamestown, New York and is the Director of Bands and Professor of Flute at Fairmont State University, Director of the Morgantown Community Orchestra, Development Coordinator for Black Diamond Philharmonic, and Senior Instructor of Flute and Piano through West Virginia University's Community Music Program. Previously, she has served as Contributing Faculty in Flute at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and as a Lecturer of Music Theory and Music Education at West Virginia University. She debuted at New York City's Carnegie Hall in November 2017 and returned for a second performance the same month as a result of winning 1st prize in the 2017 Golden Classical Music International Competition and 2nd Prize in the 2017 Concert Artists International Music Competition. As a recording artist, Alyssa has released two albums with her flute quartet, BETA, and received her first multiple-CD recording grant from Polyphony Arts Management in 2020. This three-year project will see the release of her debut solo album in 2023 and a concerto album in 2024.