Music and cello lovers will enjoy a special treat on September 23rd when the Middleburg Concert Series presents a "Latin American Cellobration". The concert will feature a group of eight international cellists performing some of the most representative works for cello ensemble by Latin American composers such as Villalobos and Piazzolla.

Middleburg Concert Series Artistic Director and cellist , Dr Alan Saucedo will be joined by guest artists Camilo Perez Mejia, Dr. Carl Donakowski, and Dr. Samuel Swift. The concert will begin at 4 PM at Middleburg United Methodist Church, 15 W Washington Street, and corner of Pendleton, Middleburg, Virginia. A reception will follow sponsored by Eloise Pastries. The very successful Middleburg Concert Series is now in its 4th year of offering virtuoso performances to Middleburg and its visitors.

Originally from Bogota, Columbia, Camilo Perez Mejia earned his Bachelor of Music from Universidad Javeriana later earning a Masters Degree in Cello Performance from Shenandoah University. He has won various concerto competitions from the Columbian National Symphony Orchestra as well from Universidad Javeriana and Shenandoah Conservatory. His performances have taken him to Italy, Brazil, and Mexico and throughout the United States. An early finalist in the Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin, Dr. Carl Donakowski has performed in the United States at the Kennedy Center, the Merkin Hall in New York, and at various festivals such as Tanglewood, Staunton, Blue Lake as well as all over Europe and the Far East. He is currently Professor of Music at James Madison University.

A former lecturer and artist in residence at the University of Virginia Dr. Sam Swift received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland. He has also been an adjunct professor at Shenandoah University and a cello instructor at Georgetown University. He has participated in festivals such as Tanglewood, Ravinia ,Blossom , Banf and is currently a member of the U.S. Army "Pershing's Own" Band.

Dr. Alan Saucedo needs no introduction to Middleburg Concert Series audiences having served in the capacity of Artistic Director since the inception of the series four years ago. An accomplished cello artist he holds degrees from Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey, Scola Municipal de Musica "Victoria dels Angels" in Barcelona and Shenandoah University. He has won several prize competitions including Yokohama International Music Competition in Japan. He is a member of the Vitali String Quartet dedicated to the performance of Latin American Classical Music.

Admission to both the concert and reception is free. Donations to keep the concerts coming are welcome. For more information email middleburgconcertseries@gmail.com or call 540-303-7127.