Dr. Alejandro Hernandez Valdez

Dr. Alejandro Hernandez Valdez has been a Teaching Assistant and an Assistant Instructor at the University of Texas at Austin.  On five occasions, he has been designated a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and he performs extensively in Mexico and the United States.

            Born into a gifted musical family, he began music studies with his father and older brother and then studied piano, composition, Gregorian chant, and organ at the Escuela Diosesana de Musica Sagrada in Guadalajara, Mexico.  He majored in piano performance at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia where he graduated Magna cum Laude.  In 1998 he was awarded first place in the Virginia Music Teachers Association piano competition.  

At UT Austin, he won the collaborative artist competition and was subsequently appointed coordinator for the piano project.  He recorded (as pianist, organist, harpsichordist, and conductor) examples for the fifth edition of Tonal Harmony by Kostka and Payne.  He also recorded selected examples for the new Anthology of Music Analysis by Kostka and Greybill.

            Alejandro has studied with Rita Sloan, Gregory Allen, Elizabeth Temple, Richard Tetley-Kardos, Anton Nel, Gabriel Chodos, and Frank Weinstock and has appeared in master-classes with Leon Fleischer, Claude Frank, John Perry, John Nakamatsu, and John O’Connor.  He has performed in important venues such as Harris Hall, Benedict Music Tent, Instituto Cultural Cabanas, Ex-convento del Carmen, and the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center.

            A dedicated advocate of Latin American music, Alejandro has performed music of Mexican composers in summer festivals such as Aspen and the Salida concert series.  His success in promoting Latin American music has led to distinctions such as being named an international fellow by the Institute of Latin American Studies and receiving the Republic of Mexico Solidaridad Presidential Scholarship.

            Alejandro has been on the faculties of the Orpheus Academy of Music, the Austin Chamber Music Center, and is currently teaching at the Washington Conservatory of Music.  He served as Director of Music at All Saints’ Lutheran Church in Bowie, Maryland and in August of 2006 he became Director of Music at Westmoreland Congregational Church in Bethesda, Maryland.

Last updated Wednesday, February 20, 2008

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