Spanish Young Music Talents: Soraya Méncid in DC at Arts Club of Washington

Spanish soprano Soraya Méncid will offer a recital with works by European composers, together with pianist GaYoung Lee, as part of the “Spanish Young Music Talents” program.

As part of the Spanish Young Music Talents program of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain, and in collaboration with DCStrings Workshop and Arts Club of Washington, Soraya Méncid and GaYoung Lee will offer a recital with works by Spanish, Italian, and German composers, including Lied, Zarzuela, and other genres.

This concert is possible thanks to DCStrings Workshop, and it’s the first collaboration between this organization and the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain.

About Soraya Méncid

Soraya Méncid completed her degree in singing at the Manuel Castillo Conservatory (Seville, Spain) under the guidance of Professor Rosa de Alba. She complemented her studies with a stay at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence, where she perfected the belcanto style. She received classes and masterclasses from professionals as Cristina Bayón, Pierangelo Pelucchi, Carlos Aransay, Sherman Lowe, and repertorist Francisco Soriano, Ricardo Estrada and Carlos Aragón, among others.

In 2021 she won the second prize in Juventudes Musicales as a soloist. In recent years she has debuted in a number of roles, including the Witch in Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Valencienne in La vedova allegra (Lehár), or her latest debut as Agua in the baroque opera Los Elementos (A. Literes).

She was part of Proyecto Zarza 2023 of the Teatro de la Zarzuela (Madrid) in the play entitled Yo te querré (music by F. Alonso and text by L. Blasco.) In the field of early music, she has participated for several seasons in the AAOBS choir within the Autumn Baroque program, as well as in the San Telmo Abierto and Tempus Muliebre concerts directed by Cristina Bayón. She has also participated in leading roles in the musicals The Phantom of the Opera and Germinal with the Liceo de la Música de Moguer, where she has performed in various theaters and auditoriums throughout Spain (Fibes, Compac Gran Vía, Auditorio Zaragoza, etc).

About GaYoung Lee

GaYoung Lee, a native of Seoul, South Korea, completed a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance at George Mason University as a piano student of Dr. Linda Apple Monson, Director of School of Music. She earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Catholic University of Korea and pursued additional studies at the Ewha Womans Graduate School of Music in Seoul.

GaYoung Lee began piano studies at the age of three in her native Korea. She won First prize from The Piano Society of Korea and was the Second place winner in both the Young Artist Piano Concours and Brahms Concours. In addition, she participated in numerous master classes for such artists as Simone Dinnerstein, Philipp Vogker, Yonghee Chun, and Barry Snyder and music festivals held in Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Russia, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, New England.

GaYoung Lee performed as pianist for Mason’s opera productions and accompanied many voice studios at George Mason University. She is a recipient of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Award and the School of Music Foundation Award. She was also selected as a featured piano soloist of the Mason Honors Recital, Grand Piano Celebration, and Arts by George in 2018 and 2019.

About DCStrings Workshop

DCStrings Workshop serves diverse and underprivileged communities of all ages across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia by providing year-round opportunities in youth education, music programming, and performances from the Accord Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles with an unwavering focus on creating equitable and comprehensive access to the arts.

About SYMT

Spanish Young Music Talents (SYMT) is the new program of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC. SYMT has been envisioned to enhance and support Spanish young musicians’ careers, in collaboration with U.S. music schools and universities at a higher level (bachelor and graduate students orchestras), offering them an experience abroad.

SYMT aims to offer young musicians not only a concert or recital in the U.S., but a complete experience with complementary activities such as masterclasses, talks, conferences, etc. to broaden their opportunities and contacts. All visiting musicians are winners of the Juventudes Musicales de España national award and under 30 years old.