Yasmine Bougacha, a violinist who has performed at Unity of Dallas many times over the last few years, has won a prestigious arts grant and will move to Cremona, Italy in late September to pursue concertmaster training in the city of the violin!
Before she goes, Yasmine and three of her friends are playing a special chamber recital at Unity of Dallas. Joining her is Vannessa Nates playing Flute, Carlos Vargas on Cello and Abraham Lopez on Guitar.
Pieces by Valerie Coleman, Mauro Giuliani and Astor Piazzolla will relax, inspire and lift you up as you listen to this talented group of musicians.
Love Offering.
About the artists:
Yasmine Bougacha is a passionate soloist and chamber musician known for her nuanced and diverse stylistic performances. With a rich heritage rooted in Mexican and Tunisian cultures, Yasmine has performed across three continents, including a notable debut as concertmaster and soloist at Carnegie Hall. Her dynamic career is highlighted by engagements such as performing with the Texas female mariachi group Rosas Divinas, Grammy winners at the Stowe Tango Music Festival, and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Brevard Music Center. Yasmine’s passion for a broad range of musical genres has also led her to arrange traditional Arabic songs, reflecting her deep connection to her cultural roots. Her commitment to using music to humanize narratives led her to cofound Harmonies of Humanity and was recently awarded a Fulbright Arts grant for the 2025 academic year. She holds a Master of Music and an Artist Diploma in Violin Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied under Won-Bin Yim and Timothy Lees, and a Bachelor of Music with a minor in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University, where she studied with Diane Kitzman and Nathan Olson.
Abraham Lopez is a distinguished Mexican-American concert guitarist and faculty member at Tarrant County College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). With performances at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kimball Art Museum and Meyerson Symphony Center, Abraham has established himself as a rising figure in classical guitar. He holds a Doctoral degree in Classical Guitar Performance and Music Pedagogy from SWBTS and has earned master's degrees from the University of Alicante in Spain and Southern Methodist University. Beyond his musical pursuits, Abraham is the founder of the Texas Guitar Society, which fosters a network for musicians, businesses, and audiences in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His efforts have resulted in collaborations with universities and government entities, including the Mexican and Irish consulates. Abraham's current instrument, a cedar top guitar crafted by Casimiro Lozano, holds sentimental value as it was once owned by his mentor, Robert Guthrie. Through his dedication to music education and community engagement, Abraham continues to enrich the classical guitar scene and inspire others with his artistry.
Carlos Vargas began his cello studies in 2009 with Dallas Symphony Orchestra cellist Mimi Allegan McShane through the Dallas Symphony's Young Strings Program, a program which affords talented minority students the opportunity to study with professional string players after passing through a rigorous vetting process. During his time studying in the Young Strings Program, Carlos place in several competitions, performed with a variety of chamber ensembles and achieved section positions in various orchestras, including the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. Carlos enrolled at La Sierra University in the Winter Quarter 2014 where he began pursuing his performance certificate in cello through his studies with noted cellist Marek Szpakiewicz. At La Sierra University, Carlos has not only performed with the La Sierra University Orchestra but also as a the cellist on many chamber music recitals. As a member of the LSU Orchestra, he has often served as principal cellist and as the Orchestra's librarian. In 2016, Carlos returned to Dallas and started mentoring young students as faculty in the DSO’s Young Strings program.
Vannesa Nates is a flutist and arts administrator in Dallas, TX with a strong passion for community arts and creating more equitable opportunities in classical music. Vannesa has had the privilege of performing with various ensembles and orchestras and currently serves as the primary substitute for the Battle Creek Symphony. As a soloist she has been named a finalist in the Puerto Rico Flute Symposium’s Young Artist Competition and the Flute Society of Washington’s Collegiate Competition and a semi-finalist in the Myrna Brown Competition. In 2022, she was selected to participate in the Sphinx organization’s audition intensive and has previously been invited to compete in Sphinx’s orchestral excerpts competition. She graduated with her Master of Music from the University of North Texas and her primary teachers include Terri Sundberg, Diana Morgan, Amy Taylor and Julianna Nickel.
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Unity of Dallas