Luis Casal

About Luis

Dr. Luis Casal is a Panamanian violinist and violist whose artistic leadership has established him among his country’s foremost classical musicians. In 2015, he was recognized as a “Remarkable Citizen of Panama” by the National Commission Pro Civic Values and Morals, and The Panama News praised him as being “right at the top” of Panama’s classical music scene.

Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, and pedagogue, he maintains an active international presence, with performances and masterclasses throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America, and the Caribbean. He has appeared at distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

A dedicated chamber musician, he performs regularly with Isaac Casal’s Ensemblast Project, a piano quartet founded by his brother, and in the Majcherczyk & Casal Duo, a violin and viola ensemble with his wife, violinist Anna Majcherczyk. These collaborations span repertoire from the classical canon to contemporary works.

As an orchestral musician, he has served as Principal Violist of the National Symphony of Panama and the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra. He is co-founder of the Camerata Alfredo de Saint Malo and currently serves as Concertmaster of the ADCA Symphony Orchestra, in addition to holding the position of Principal Violist with the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Casal is on the faculty of The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program and also teaches at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and the Lucy Moses School. A committed advocate for contemporary music, he has premiered works by numerous international composers. In 2021, he composed 8 Etudes for Violin, commissioned by The Juilliard School for its Music Advancement Program. He serves as Vice President of the Sinfonía Concertante Foundation of Panama and as Honorary Academic Adviser to the Alfredo Saint Malo Music Festival.