About Nosotros

Here’s a bilingual version with the English first and the Spanish translation immediately below each section. I also made a few edits to improve readability while preserving the historical details.

History | Historia

Artistas y Músicos Latinoamericanos (AMLA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization founded in 2006 in North Philadelphia. AMLA is a subsidiary of Esperanza, Inc. Our mission is to promote the development, performance, preservation, and appreciation of Latin American music and culture throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, with a strong commitment to youth education and community engagement.

Artistas y Músicos Latinoamericanos (AMLA) es una organización artística sin fines de lucro, reconocida como 501(c)(3), fundada en 2006 en el norte de Filadelfia. AMLA es una corporación subsidiaria de Esperanza, Inc. Nuestra misión es promover el desarrollo, la interpretación, la preservación y la apreciación de la música y la cultura latinoamericanas en la región metropolitana de Filadelfia, con un firme compromiso con la educación de los jóvenes y el fortalecimiento de la comunidad.

AMLA builds upon the legacy of Asociación de Músicos Latinoamericanos (also known as AMLA), an organization founded in 1982 by 125 Latino musicians. The organization was created to address the misrepresentation of Latino culture and to advocate for fair opportunities and improved working conditions for Latino musicians.

Asociación established the Latin School for the Performing Arts (LSPA) to nurture the next generation of artists and musicians. The organization also presented concerts and festivals throughout the community and became widely recognized for its “Roots of Puerto Rican Music” educational workshops. Its work earned national recognition, including the Growing Up Taller Award (1997) for outstanding programming serving young people and Latin Beat Magazine’s Siempre Salsa Special Recognition Award (2005) for excellence in Latin music education.

AMLA continúa el legado de la Asociación de Músicos Latinoamericanos (también conocida como AMLA), una organización fundada en 1982 por 125 músicos latinos. La Asociación nació para responder a la representación inexacta de la cultura latina y para defender mejores oportunidades y condiciones laborales para los músicos latinos.

La Asociación fundó la Latin School for the Performing Arts (LSPA) con el propósito de formar a la próxima generación de artistas y músicos. También organizó conciertos y festivales para la comunidad y obtuvo amplio reconocimiento por sus talleres educativos “Roots of Puerto Rican Music” (“Raíces de la Música Puertorriqueña”). Su labor recibió importantes reconocimientos nacionales, entre ellos el premio Growing Up Taller (1997), por ofrecer programas artísticos de excelencia para jóvenes, y el Premio de Reconocimiento Especial Siempre Salsa de la revista Latin Beat (2005), por su destacada contribución a la educación de la música latina.

In 2006, founder Jesse Bermudez partnered with the Reverend Luis Cortés Jr., President and CEO of Esperanza, to create a new chapter for the organization. Their collaboration established AMLA as it exists today, combining the rich history and mission of the original organization with Esperanza’s commitment to educational opportunity and community development.

Today, AMLA serves children, youth, adults, and families through music education, performances, artist residencies, and cultural programming, while honoring the traditions of Latin American music and inspiring the next generation of artists.

En 2006, el fundador Jesse Bermudez estableció una alianza estratégica con el reverendo Luis Cortés Jr., presidente y director ejecutivo de Esperanza, para dar inicio a una nueva etapa para la organización. De esa colaboración nació la AMLA actual, que une la rica historia y misión de la organización original con el compromiso de Esperanza con la educación y el desarrollo comunitario.

Hoy, AMLA ofrece programas de educación musical, presentaciones artísticas, residencias de artistas y actividades culturales para niños, jóvenes, adultos y familias. A través de este trabajo, la organización preserva las tradiciones musicales de América Latina e inspira a la próxima generación de artistas.

Mission Statement

“AMLA promotes the development, dissemination, and understanding of Latin music and culture in the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley region with an emphasis on Youth.”

Leadership

Board of Directors

Rev. Danny Cortés, Chair

Angel Ortiz, Vice Chair

Israel Colon, Treasurer

Michael Garcia

Juan Laureda

Natalia Álvarez-Figueroa

Lourdes Hernández

Gilberto González

Daniel de Jesús – Director of Music Education

Daniel de Jesús is an artist and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. Access to the arts for underserved communities is at the core of their work as a curator, educator, and practicing artist in Philadelphia. They were the Visual Arts Manager from 2007 – 2011 and Youth Artist Program manager from 2015 – 2021 at the Taller Puertorriqueño. They are now the Music Education & Community Relations Director for AMLA at Esperanza, a Latin Music School in the heart of North Philadelphia.

They are a practicing multidisciplinary artist who works as a painter, composer, and songwriter versed in the worlds of visual & sonic tapestries. The themes of their work are often based on Latin American baroque stylings with a penchant for Electronic Beats and siren-like vocals.

As an educator and administrator, de Jesús works to give youth access to experiences and opportunities to participate in the creative arts through inclusive programs in Philadelphia. As teaching artists, they work with organizations dedicated to uplifting our community’s youth to provide high-quality arts education.

Meet Our Teaching Artists

At AMLA, our students learn from active performers who bring their real-world artistry into the classroom. Each teaching artist is committed to nurturing young musicians while sharing the cultural richness of Latin American and global traditions.

Mariano Medina – Percussion & Drums
Mariano is a versatile percussionist and drummer who has performed with icons such as Ray Sepúlveda, Andy Montañez, and Grammy winner Ray De La Paz; as both a performer and teaching artist, he brings expertise across Latin, jazz, rock, and R&B.

Mariano Medina es percusionista y baterista con una amplia trayectoria como intérprete y educador. Ha compartido escenario con reconocidos artistas de la música latina y aporta experiencia en percusión latina, jazz, rock y R&B.

Stephen Lorek – Piano, Guitar, Bass, Vocals, & Rock Band
Stephen is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter and co-owner of Doff and Tulip Studio, known for his national touring band Shark Tape and award-winning songwriting; as a teaching artist, he blends performance with mentorship in multiple instruments and rock ensemble work.

Stephen es cantante, compositor y educador musical en Filadelfia. Combina su experiencia como artista y productor con la enseñanza de múltiples instrumentos, composición y trabajo en conjuntos de música contemporánea.

Chris Smirnov – Violin, Viola, Cello Chris is a Temple University–trained violinist and active studio musician in Philadelphia; as a teaching artist, he inspires young string players with his performance experience and collaborative artistry.

Chris Smirnov es violinista y educador musical formado en Temple University. Como artista docente, comparte su experiencia como músico profesional para inspirar a estudiantes de violín, viola y violonchelo.

Zyra M. González-Monterrey – Piano & Choir Accompanist
Zyra, a Havana-born pianist and accompanist with international performance credits, is both an experienced performer and teaching artist, bringing her conservatory training and opera background to AMLA’s piano and choir classes.

Zyra M. González-Monterrey es pianista, acompañante y educadora musical nacida en La Habana. Su formación de conservatorio y experiencia internacional enriquecen la enseñanza de piano y el acompañamiento coral en AMLA.

Richard Tucker – Guitar & Bass Guitar
Richard is a lifelong Philadelphia guitarist who began performing professionally at age 15; as a teaching artist, he combines decades of stage experience with his commitment to mentoring youth in guitar, bass, and music theory.

Richard Tucker es guitarrista y educador musical de Filadelfia con décadas de experiencia profesional. En AMLA, comparte su conocimiento de guitarra, bajo y teoría musical, guiando a jóvenes músicos en su desarrollo artístico.

Malinda Lisette Voelle – Flute
Malinda is a freelance flutist and educator, a Sphinx Fellowship recipient and Marian Anderson Grant winner; as a teaching artist, she combines her performance background with a passion for diverse musical traditions and community engagement.

Malinda Lisette Voelle es flautista, intérprete y educadora musical. Su experiencia artística y compromiso con la diversidad musical y el trabajo comunitario enriquecen la formación de estudiantes en AMLA.

Valentina Sierra – Choir
Valentina is a Colombian-American soprano and Opera Philadelphia Residency Program Manager, whose operatic and teaching career focuses on cultivating expressive, inclusive vocal artistry; as AMLA’s choir teaching artist, they foster community through song.

Valentina Sierra es soprano colombo-estadounidense y educadora musical. En AMLA dirige el coro, promoviendo el desarrollo vocal, la expresión artística y el sentido de comunidad a través de la música.

Frankie De Rosa – Ukulele, Brass, Piano, Woodwinds
Frankie is a Miami-born multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and educator who bridges diverse traditions, from Caribbean heritage to Indian classical training; as a teaching artist, he inspires students through flute, recorder, piano, ukulele, guitar, saxophone, brass, and voice, blending technical mastery with cultural awareness.

Frankie De Rosa es multiinstrumentista, cantante, compositor y educador musical. Su amplia experiencia en diversos estilos musicales le permite enseñar instrumentos de viento, piano, ukulele, guitarra y voz, fomentando tanto la excelencia musical como la apreciación cultural.

Miriam Arbelo – Recorder, Teaching Artist
Miriam Arbelo is a New Jersey–based musician and educator dedicated to inspiring young learners through music. She is a teaching artist with Piffaro, The Renaissance Band, where she leads recorder education programs and community initiatives, including Piffaro’s annual Recorder Festival. In New Jersey, Miriam has taught general music, chorus, and recorder ensembles, creating opportunities for students to perform and connect with early music traditions. At AMLA, she brings her expertise in recorder and music education to engage middle school students in ensemble playing, cultural learning, and creative expression.

Miriam Arbelo es música y educadora dedicada a inspirar a jóvenes a través de la música. En AMLA enseña flauta dulce y promueve el aprendizaje en conjunto, la exploración de las tradiciones musicales y la expresión creativa.

Emiliano Pardo-Tristán – Classical Guitar

Emiliano Pardo-Tristán is a resident teaching artist in partnership with the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. Born in Panama and based in Philadelphia since 1992, he is an internationally active composer, guitarist, and educator whose music has been performed by leading orchestras and ensembles across the Americas and Europe and recorded on seven CDs, including two of his own compositions. A multiple-time winner of Panama’s Roque Cordero National Composition Contest and recipient of numerous international awards, he also holds a DMA in Composition from Temple University, a Postdoctoral Fellowship from New York University, and has taught at universities and conservatories in the United States and Panama.

Emiliano Pardo-Tristán es compositor, guitarrista clásico y educador de reconocimiento internacional. En AMLA comparte su amplia experiencia artística y académica para formar a la próxima generación de guitarristas clásicos.