With more than thirty years of artistic experience, ten albums of her own, and a lifetime devoted to music, Geo Meneses has forged an independent path guided by sensitivity, discipline, and a profound love for Mexican song.
 

Throughout her career, she has performed across nearly all of Mexico, taking part in the country’s most important cultural festivals. Her voice has also reached Spain, Italy, Argentina, the United States, Paraguay, Peru, and the Philippines, and has resonated in such iconic venues as the Festival Internacional Cervantino and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, where she participated in Broken Wings, a San Francisco Ballet production inspired by the life and artistic universe of Frida Kahlo.

An artist of profound sensitivity, Geo Meneses does not simply sing a melody: she inhabits it, transforms it, and turns it into a shared experience. Through her voice, love, longing, absence, and hope find a place in which to blossom.

Dr. Brian Gaona (cello) While sustaining a vibrant studio in Naperville, IL, Brian Gaona has become a veteran of the symphonic world, having played with such organizations as Peoria Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Memphis Symphony, New York’s One World Symphony, and Los Angeles’ Henry Mancini Orchestra. On Piano he has served as rehearsal accompanist and Assistant Music Director of the Valley View Theater Guild in Bolingbrook, and has been employed by the orchestral conducting program under Donald Schleicher as rehearsal pianist. He is also a frequent soloist/recitalist for various occasions, including a pair of professional recitals sponsored by the Asturian Government for the promotion of classical arts. His performing experience extends worldwide, having concertized in such locations as the Czech Republic, Japan, Canada, Spain, New York, Los Angeles, Aspen, and Chicago’s own Orchestra Hall. Most recently, Gaona can be heard on the band’s title album Blackfinger as well as the film score Vengeance in the Outer Rim.

In his commitment to overall musicianship, he has continued to program and promote his compositions, partake in the musicological community, and teach. His compositions have been featured in various venues, highlights of which include several New York premieres with the One World Symphony. The International Beethoven Conference of 2003 also saw Gaona’s presence as a participant and performer of a rare version of the famed Opus 69 Cello Sonata of Beethoven. He has continued his to participate in the Beethoven community, presenting a lecture in a 250^th Beethoven commemoration centered in Lucca, Italy in 2020. This and esoteric elements of music form the center of Gaona’s area of expertise, as reflected in his dissertation, Through the Lens of Freemasonry: The Influence of Ancient Esoteric Thought on Beethoven’s Late Works, available through Ideals, at  https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/. 

Jose Carlos Diaz (vocals) Singer and music producer Jose Carlos Diaz hails from Elgin, Illinois, and is of Mexican heritage—specifically from the state of Morelos. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts receiving his bachelors degree in music production and engineering. He is currently promoting his debut bolero album, *Cosas Imposibles*, which was produced in Mexico City. Last year, he had the honor of being invited to perform at the World Bolero Festival in Mexico City alongside Grammy nominated singer Rodrigo de la Cadena. He also reached the semi-finals representing our beloved city of Chicago in the ​“México Canta” competition—an initiative promoted by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to advocate against violence and addiction. This October marks his third invitation to perform with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for their Day of the Dead concert at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin. Jose Carlos Diaz also recently held his second bolero concert, titled ​“Noche de Bohemia 2,” in Elgin, with plans to bring the show to Chicago in the near future.

Norberto Guerra (guitar) is a Cuban musician, composer, arranger, and producer, driven by a deep passion for the vibrant rhythms of Cuban son, enriched by the diverse influences of Caribbean and African music. His artistry captures the essence of Cuban son, fusing traditional melodies and rhythms with the expressive nuances of flamenco, bossa nova, blues, and jazz. This fusion enables him to craft unique interpretations that resonate deeply with audiences, celebrating the richness of Cuban heritage while embracing contemporary musical expression. Instruments: Acoustic and electric guitar, tres cubano, electric bass, and Latin percussion. Education: • BFA in Classical Guitar, Instituto Superior de las Artes (ISA), Havana, Cuba (2015) • Classical Music Studies, Escuela Nacional de las Artes (ENA), Cuban Conservatory of Music, Havana, Cuba (2008).