Alfonso Mejia-Arias

Alfonso Mejía Arias in Panama in 2000.

Born in (Veracruz, Mexico. Sept 11, 1961. Musician, writer, social activist and politician of Roma origin (Gitano). Lived Mostly in Mexico City, where his family settled.

Career

From his childhood joined musical associations that defined his vocation. He studied violoncello, Art History, ethnomusicology and choral and orchestral conduction at the National Conservatory of Music, and the National School of Music of UNAM. Disciple of prestigious teachers as Barbara Kaminska (Poland), Enrique Marmisolle, Jorge Cordova, Leonardo Velazquez and Christian Caballero among many others. Also attended Master Classes from Yo-Yo Ma and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Dr Mejia-Arias is a specialist in Japanese Traditional music and has been renowned in Japan as First Hispanic American Shakuhachi Player (Distinction granted by Dai Sensei Aoki Reibo, national living treasure). Also had personal guidance of Kifu Mitsuhashi, Hodo Yamaguchi and Katsuya Yokoyama at Mexico, Los Angeles, California, USA, and Okayama, Japan. In Mexico learned composition and orchestral conduction from Humberto Hernández Medrano. Mejia-Arias is member of the Orchestral Conducting Workshop of Itzvan Lenker in New York, USA and San Salvador, Republic of El Salvador.

Also studied in Toyohashi, Nagoya, and Bisen, Okayama in Japan, New York, Los Angeles California, USA. Baroque Music Interpretation from Rainer Johansen and Isabel Shau of Musika Antiqua Köln, (Germany). Interpretation and Ornamentation of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Music from Philip Pickett, of The Musicians Of the Globe, London, UK.

Political career

Alfonso Mejía Arias has participated in Mexican Politics, ran for a position representing the Partido Liberal Mexicano (2003), PLM, (Mexican Liberal Party). Openly criticized government polices, wrote in many publications as La Noche de Las Luciérnagas and Podium, denouncing corruption and human rights violations in his country, as well those inflicted to Mexican ethnical minorities as those to his own Romani people settled in Mexico, actions that brought him prosecution from different parties, specially from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), governing Mexico City and other important cities.

Works

Diferencias conceptuales entre los Barrocos Europeo y Mexicano (Conceptual differences within European and Mexican Baroque) essay. As well as musicals and other multidisciplinary performances.

External links