José Miguel Cueto

José Miguel Cueto, violinist, was born in Puerto Rico, where he received his early musical training.  After graduating from the Pablo Casals Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, he was awarded scholarships from the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Peabody Conservatory.  At Peabody, he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying under laureate violinist Berl Senofsky.  He served as concertmaster of the conservatory orchestra and was chosen to perform Vivaldi’s Triple Violin Concerto in the “Masters of Today and Tomorrow” concert series with his teacher Senofsky and another internationally distinguished violinist, Ruggiero Ricci.

As soloist, Mr. Cueto has performed in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia.  He is in great demand as a chamber musician, having performed with the Kennedy Center, Tidewater, and Casals Chamber Players; Washington Chamber Society; Melos Ensemble, with Gervase de Peyer; La Gesse Festival in France; Autunno Musicale Veronese and Italy & USA Alba Music Festival in Italy; and three world festivals in China.  At home with both traditional and contemporary repertoire, he has premiered several chamber music compositions by composers of the Americas.  With his longtime collaborator, Argentine pianist Nancy Roldán, he founded the chamber music ensemble Alborada.

Mr. Cueto has been admired by both the public and the critics for his “solid technique, as well as his rich and beautiful tone” (El Mundo, San Juan).  STRAD magazine recognized his performance at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, as “grounded, confident, and superb in all particulars.”  Mr. Cueto is concertmaster of Concert Artists of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Festival Orchestra.  He serves as artist-in-residence and head of the strings department at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  In addition to being a recording artist, he is a lecturer for Peabody’s Elder­hostel program.