the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia

MaestroLuis Haza named College of Coastal Georgia Volunteer of the YearAs an 8-year-old child in Santiago, Cuba, Luis Hazaresponded to an act of political violence by throwinghis heart and soul into music. All of his anger, grief andloss, his sense of being powerless to right a great wrong,poured out in passionate music pulled with a bow fromthe strings of a violin.The act was the execution without trial of his father,the Chief of the National Police of Santiago de Cuba whosupported democracy in Cuba, by Fidel Castro.By the age of 11, Haza was touring the provinces of Cuba,performing on the concert stage. A year later, he obtainedhis first professional post as Assistant Concertmaster ofthe Lyric Theater and debuted as a conductor in a programwhich included one of his own orchestral compositions.As a child prodigy, he was offered opportunities to studyabroad in his choice of Iron Curtain countries. Instead,he and his mother sought asylum in the United States,immigrating on Election Day in 1964.Chance and circumstance eventually brought Haza tothe Golden Isles – to the benefit of the community andthe College – and he was recognized this spring as the2012 Volunteer of the Year by Coastal Georgia. What weresupposed to be Haza’s lazy days of retirement on thebeach have instead become days packed with instruction,rehearsals, performances and arts-in-education advocacy.A Brief History of a Prodigious TalentIn the United States, Haza studied on full scholarship atthe Curtis Institute, the Peabody Conservatory, and theBlossom Music Festival with teachers including DanielMajeske, Efrem Zimbalist, Robert Gerle and Eduardo VidalAviles, as well as being coached by Mstislav Rostropovichand Henryk Szeryng.His extensive performing career includes 36 years asfirst violinist with the National Symphony Orchestra atthe Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He conducted theAmerican Youth Philharmonic Orchestras for 25 seasons.As a soloist, he has performed extensively in the UnitedStates and internationally in Europe, Central America, andthe Caribbean.As a conductor, he has led the London SymphonyOrchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the nationalorchestras of El Salvador, Panama, and Guatemala, andAustralia’s Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, amongothers. He served as director of the Virginia Chamber Orchestra,conductor of the Virginia Ballet Company, and member of theBoard of Governors for the Grammy Awards. Former First LadyLaura Bush appointed him to the President’s Commission forArts and the Humanities. He was the recipient of the NationalAcademy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMY’s) HeroAward – their highest honor presented in Washington.6 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine