Endorsing Artists

Vinicio Meza is a Costa Rican clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and arranger of symphonic, chamber, jazz and “salsa” music. He began his music studies with his father, then he attended the Municipal School of Music in his hometown Paraíso, Cartago, where he began his clarinet studies. Thereafter he continued his Music studies at Conservatorio de Castella. After his graduation, he studied for two years at the Interlochen Arts Academy, in Michigan, USA. Vinicio obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, USA, and his Master of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the Florida State University in Tallahassee, USA. In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Culture has awarded him with the “National Prize in Music Performance” and the “National Prize in Music Composition”. ACAM (Composers and Authors Association of Costa Rica) has awarded him with the “Prize for Arranger of the Year”, the “Prize for Composer of the Year” in formal music and the “Prize for Composer of the Year” in jazz. Several of his works have been recorded and commissioned in Costa Rica and abroad. Vinicio has been clarinet professor at the University of Costa Rica and at the National University of Costa Rica. He is a member of the Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra and teaches Music Appreciation at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. He was the music director, composer and arranger of Soncaribe “Salsa” Orchestra and he is clarinetist, saxophonist and composer of Swing en 4 jazz quartet. With Swing en 4, he has recorded four albums and has played in Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Argentina, Canada, Sweden and Germany. He composed the music for the Costa Rican film “Murder at El Meneo”, which was recorded with Swing en 4 and Soncaribe.. As a clarinetist, he has participated in several music festivals such as the “Pacific Music Festival” in Japan, the “Evian Music Festival” in France, the “Graz Music Festival” in Austria, the “Mozart International Festival” in Reunion Island and “The National Repertory Orchestra” in Colorado, USA. He has been a soloist with the Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra, the Inter-American Youth Orchestra in Puerto Rico and the Interlochen Arts Academy Symphony Orchestra in Michigan, USA. He is the featured composer of the 2017 North Star Music Festival, at Truman State University, Missouri, USA.