Quinteto Latino Live

Quinteto Latino, founded in 2004 by French horn player Armando Castellano, is a dynamic wind quintet dedicated to showcasing Latino compositions and engaging diverse communities through music. The ensemble's mission is threefold: to perform classical works culturally relevant to Latino communities, advocate for Latino composers through commissioning and performances, and provide engaging educational programs and community outreach. 

Alongside Castellano, the quintet consists of flutist Diane Grubbe, oboist Kyle Bruckmann, clarinetist Leslie Tagorda, and bassoonist Jamael Smith. Since its inception, Quinteto Latino has achieved notable success, including the release of their debut CD 100 Años de Música Mexicana para Quinteto de Alientos in 2011, showcase performances at the National Performance Network conference in 2014 and Chamber Music America conferences in 2018 and 2020, as well as numerous concerts across the United States. 

The quintet has a strong commitment to new music, actively commissioning and premiering works by Latino composers such as José Luis Hurtado, Guillermo Galindo, Paul Desenne, and Gabriela Lena Frank. An exciting recent commission was Carla Lucero’s chamber opera Chicanísima, premiered by the quintet in 2024. This dedication to contemporary compositions complements the ensemble’s repertoire of traditional Latino classical music. 

Quinteto Latino has two decades of experience in culturally competent music education, partnering with Bay Area institutions Stanford Live, Montalvo Arts Center, and others, offering engaging, standards-based programs that encourage children of color to express themselves authentically through music. Quinteto Latino's passionate teaching artists provide interactive, age-appropriate instruction in various formats—from bilingual classroom residencies and student assemblies to community concerts—featuring their unique wind quintet and exploring diverse musical traditions, composition, and performance techniques. What sets Quinteto Latino performances apart is their unique style of breaking down barriers between stage and audience, making classical music accessible and relevant to diverse communities. 

The quintet’s repertoire spans the full spectrum of Latino musical heritage from traditional compositions to cutting-edge works, embodying their mission to bridge cultures through the universal language of music.