Michael Camilo Scholarship awarded to student Ángel Sánchez Volquez

Santo Domingo.– The young Dominican musician Ángel Sánchez Volquez was selected as the winner of the Michael Camilo Scholarship, one of the most prestigious academic recognitions in the musical field, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary and has been awarded for the fifth time bearing the name of the famous Dominican pianist and composer.

Michael Camilo explained that the selection process was undertaken with great rigor, through highly demanding auditions, in which a wide range of young talents were evaluated.

“We heard a complete rainbow of talent and dreams, loaded with emotion, but above all with preparation. After listening to them all, one emerged that shone, that measured up and that survived all the tests, impressing us for several reasons”, expressed the musician.

Among the aspects that stood out in the evaluation of Sánchez Volquez, Camilo highlighted that the student presented an original composition, with which he auditioned, as well as an improvisation that showed artistic maturity and mastery of the harmonic, melodic, and jazz language. "That impressed us deeply", he affirmed. The pianist also recounted that he decided to subject the young man to a final test of greater artistic demand. "I was so drawn to his talent that I wanted to test him in deep waters, playing a duet with me on the piano, and he also passed that test with a gold medal", he pointed out, thus confirming the unanimous decision to award him the scholarship. The Michael Camilo Scholarship represents an opportunity for international projection for young Dominican musicians and is part of the efforts to promote national talent under academic standards of excellence, strengthening the future of Dominican music on global stages.

You can also read: Michel Camilo teaches a class at Berklee Santo Domingo 2026

The announcement was made within the framework of the closing of the international academic program Berklee in Santo Domingo 2026, which concluded this Saturday in the Carlos Piantini hall of the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, with a concert by the participating students, where the advances and results of the training process developed during the week were evidenced. The program brought together nearly 200 selected students from different regions of the country and concluded with a formal closing ceremony that was attended by cultural and academic authorities. The program was developed from January 5th to 10th, as an initiative organized by the Ministry of Culture, in coordination with the General Directorate of Fine Arts, the National Conservatory of Music, and the Berklee College of Music, with the purpose of offering specialized musical training under international academic standards. With the conclusion of this edition, Berklee in Santo Domingo 2026 closed its academic and artistic agenda, reaffirming itself as a space for formative exchange that strengthens the development of young Dominican talent and its connection with one of the most recognized musical institutions internationally.