Our Team
Musical directors
Aquiles Morales was born in Mexico City and began his piano studies at the National School of Music in 1996, where he studied with Eva del Carmen Medina. In 1999 he continued his studies in Paris in the École Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot where he obtained the diploma in 2004. He was a student of the teacher Dusan Tadic and later of the soloist Françoise Parrot-Hanlet. He participed in a number of competitions, gaining second place in the Sucy-en-Brie National Piano Contest. In 2004 he was admitted in the École Nationale de Musique de Créteil where he carried out specialization studies with the teacher Christophe Vautier, also participating in master classes in Nice and Courchevel with Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (C.N.S.M.) teachers Jacques Rouvier and Prisca Benoît. He returned to Mexico in 2005 and continued studying with the renowned pedagogue Néstor Castañeda. He has appeared as a soloist and in chamber music groups at the most important concert halls in Mexico, France, and the United States. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras conducted by Francisco Téllez and Arturo Enrique Diemecke. In 2006 he recorded his first CD 32 Variations/Variations, and in 2009 [post] Sturm und Drang. In April 2015 he recorded a new CD with music written by Ravel, Debussy, and Franck. This production will be ready during the next months. In 2013 and 2014 he studied at the Mozarteum University’s Sommerakademie with the French pianist Dominique Merlet. From 2008 he began expanding his musical horizons to choral music. He received his choral conducting training by directors Alberto Balzanelli (Argentina), Leo Kraemer (Germany), Konrad von Abel (Germany), student of Sergiu Celibidache, and Simon Carrington (UK), founding member of the King's Singers. In February 2015 he was chosen as the director of Mexico City Choir. Five years ago he became the director of the Superior School of Music Youth Choir with whom he performs regularly. Some of the choir performances include Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem on Opus 94.5 FM, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy accompanied by the school orchestra conducted by maestro Enrique Diemecke, the musical and scenic project Coros y Arias de Ópera at the Blas Galindo Auditorium, Oh Lord, I wanna be in that Number ! Gospel and Spirituals at the Soumaya Museum, and Délicieux, a French music feast. He is also the founder of Poder Coral MX where Coro Délicieux and Coro UNO come from. He performs with them throughout the year. He studied voice with the mezzo-soprano Armelle Orieux in Paris and later with the soprano Gabriela Miranda in Mexico. Since 2006, he shares his musical experience as a teacher in the Superior School of Music. He worked as an accompanist and is currently in charge of the piano for composers, and choir classes. In 2007 he worked on the staging of the opera Lucia di Lammermoor at the Mexico’s City opera hall, Bellas Artes. He also participated as a pianist in the 2006 production of The Magic Flute by the National School of Music Opera Company.
Roberto Mora Ramírez
Conductor
Salty Paw Jazz Orchestra
Multifaceted musician from Jalisco graduated from the Escuela Superior de Música Sagrada de Guadalajara having the outstanding solfeggio and harmony teachers, Domingo Lobato and Hermilio Hernández on piano Áurea Corona, Amelia García. His studies in choral conducting were carried out with teachers Néstor Andrenacci, Dante Andreo, Irina Mijailova among others; and in orchestral direction with the teachers Guadalupe Flores, Carlos Spierer and more recently with the mtro. William Salvador. In the Jazz genre, his teachers were Carlos de la Torre, Jorge Estrada, David Domínguez, Gabriel Hernández, and John Baesley. He was a member of the Choir of the School of Sacred Music for three years, he participated as an intern in the Choir of the City of Guadalajara under the direction of Roberto Gutiérrez He belonged to the Professional Choir of the State of Jalisco for 5 years, having participated as a soloist and pianist. He finished the basic course and diploma in choral conducting given by Fomento Musical of the Secretary of Culture, and thanks to his outstanding participation he was invited to belong to the Choir of the Republic where he had the opportunity to lead this group on four tours throughout the country. As director of school choirs, he won first place at the state level in the National Anthem performance contest for three consecutive years. In 2006 he composed the music for the play "La Pista" by Fernando De Ita. In 2010 he toured with great success ten concerts through the state of Baja California with the “Canto Bello” Vocal Quartet, of which he was director. Musically, Roberto has shown himself to be capable, distinguishing himself in all the projects where he has participated, whether in classical music or jazz; as a pianist, choir and orchestra director, composer and arranger, highlighting his arrangements for the pianist Andrés Sarre, and Orquesta Esperanza Azteca Nacional. From January 2015 to April 2017 he was Artistic Director of the Esperanza Azteca Tlaquepaque Symphony Orchestra, being the first orchestra in the state to debut, doing so in June 2016 with great success at the Degollado Theater. Directing this orchestra, he performed in the most important municipalities of the Guadalajara metropolitan area, in September 2016 he directed it at the anniversary concert of the city of Tepatitlán, also in April 2017 he highlighted a "Tribute to Divo de Juárez" before 1000 people in the important enclosure: Palcco. In 2022 he was invited to conduct the OSIJUG Guadalajara Youth Orchestra in the shows 20 Years of Magic, OSIJUG at Hogwarts at the Diana Theater and The Nutcracker in a Christmas Carol at PALCCO Zapopan. He is currently a member, together with his wife, the soprano Gabriela Domínguez, and his children, the violin virtuosos Camila and Leonardo, of the family group "Morarte", which has performed in different forums throughout the state and in other entities of the country with great success.
Board Members
Susi Schuegraf was a music major at Cal State Northridge and studied with Peter Rejto. She finished in Computer Engineering and worked as a technical systems manager at Microsoft, and Hughes Aircraft. Her love for music never left and all of her children have played instruments. Son Sebastian plays violin in the orchestra. Her daughter plays recorder, She performed a concert at Act 2 with Daniel Olivieros and Sharon Baughman White and helped with the prior DIF program.
Terrence is a Founder and CEO of MEXLend, an 18-year-old national mortgage brokerage and escrow service, focusing on financing for US and Canadian citizens throughout Mexico. He began playing the clarinet in elementary school in Germany and continued to play into college. As a co-founder and board member of the Instituto de Artes Musicales (IAMPV), he is fiercely dedicated to providing musical opportunities to the youth of Puerto Vallarta where he resides with his husband, David Schwendeman and to the cultural enrichment of the community through music and art.
Mary MacLachlan - an “original” - has played in orchestras since she was 10 years old! She first played professionally at age 19 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and continued professionally for decades, plus teaching instrumental music both privately and in schools. When she and her husband Don moved to Vallarta in 2004 she was invited to join a small group of musicians who wanted to play classical music together. This core group of about 8 players (the PCO - Puerto Vallarta Chamber Orchestra) grew to become the orchestra that we have today. Three of the original members still play in the orchestra today. Her passion to play the classics in an orchestra never fades. Mary is on the OSV board to assist both with music selection and the many details that are involved in our performances. She spends summers in British Columbia, on a lake, in the woods. She loves to walk, entertain family and friends, and enjoys the outdoor living of this unique site.
Brian Cloyd
Board Member
Brian Cloyd is past Vice-President of Global Corporate Relations for Steelcase Inc. In his business career one of his responsibilities was funding corporate giving. His company supported many non-profits and arts organizations including the local symphony. He joined the board in 2023.
Sally Estes
Clarinet
Board Member
Sally Estes grew up in Sedalia, Missouri. At age 8, she taught herself how to play piano from her older sister’s piano lesson books. She began playing the clarinet in elementary school. When a Junior in High School, she was invited to join the local Symphony. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Piano Emphasis from Columbia College, Columbia, MO. After a 30-year hiatus with the clarinet, Sally joined the PV Chamber Orchestra in 2007. She enjoys classical music and says “it feeds my soul when I can play my individual part and create beautiful music with other individuals”. Sally provided piano accompaniment for the PV Men’s Choir from 2015-2019. She currently is the keyboardist for the Worship Team of Grace Vineyard Vallarta Church. Sally and her husband, Jim, moved permanently to Puerto Vallarta in 2012. They own a business which manages condominium associations in Lake Ozark, MO which they continue to oversee. Sally joined the IAMPV Board in 2022 because she is passionate about helping youth have access to learning a musical instrument which will give them life-long skills and opportunities.
Ángel Romero
First Violin
Educator
Angel Romero is a violinist and educator with great interest in making all kinds of music, with a passion for teaching and interactive learning. She is the current OSV Concertmaster. Angel’s professional credits include: Soloist at the VII International Meeting of Contemporary Music Violin Schools “Young Musicians Festival” at San Rafael´s house of culture, Winner of the interinstitutional violin competition CDMX 2017, premiere of works by various new composers, member of Ceres Quartet, and member of Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Vallarta. She has been on the teaching faculty of many music programs.
Techies
Pat Silver was drawn to the piano at age 4 and began formal piano training at age 7 in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout her school years, she added violin, guitar, organ, double bass, viola, banjo and accordion, with flutes as a "midlife crisis" project. Pat earned degrees in piano and violin performance from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and a Master's degree in broadcasting from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A producer and publicist in Toronto, she was drawn to the lure of the 'road', joined a touring rock band and never looked back. She owned one of Canada's top entertainment agencies for 32 years. As Patty The Clown with her Sphere Clown Band, she toured the world, winning a Gold Record, numerous songwriting awards, and her children's book became a bestseller. Pat was inducted into the Clayton Education Foundation Alumni Hall of Fame in 2022 for her international contributions to the arts. His “retirement” plans include co-managing Canada's top a cappella festival, SING! Toronto, the management of the international touring group Countermeasure A Cappella and its participation in the PV orchestras through concerts and work with the board of directors. Her son John-Michael Erlendson's a cappella group, Ruach Singers, performed with the PV Orchestra in 2019.
Michael Peters studied classical piano from the age of 6. He started playing the guitar as a teenager and these two instruments have never left him. He took private lessons with a classical guitar teacher for 4 years and with a clarinet teacher for one year. He fell in love with wind instruments when he met a concert band in Disraéli (a small musical town in the Eastern Townships, an area of Quebec bordering the United States). He played saxophones (tenor and alto) and preferred the sound and spirit of the clarinet. He has won a few performance competitions as a singer-songwriter. He is a self-producing artist, having produced a classical guitar album, two pop music albums, an instrumental music album and two singles. He enjoys producing videos from the music he has produced. He is passionate about computers, computer graphics, music and video production. A 'jack of all trades', 'master of none'. He participated in some OSV concerts as a clarinetist. He took charge of the development and maintenance of the new website for IAMPV in 2022. He is also a tenor/baritone singer with the Montreal Ensemble Vocal Ganymède.