Music has always followed Dr. Mauricio Cespedes, from his childhood in Bolivia to Trinity Prep. Cespedes grew up in a household where both of his parents were musically inclined. His father, a concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra, and his mother, a principal cellist, wanted Cespedes to pursue the violin, but he wasn’t interested early on. It wasn’t until later on that he found love for music.

“I didn’t like [the violin] until I was about 13,” Cespedes said. “I remember something clicked in my brain and I started loving and practicing it everyday.” 

Before moving to the USA, Cespedes attended the Bolivian University of Technology, where he earned a degree in environmental engineering. Wanting to pursue a career in music, he then attended Michigan State University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Music Performance in 2005. Five years later, he also attained a doctoral degree at Florida State University. 

Before Trinity, Cespedes spent his time as first principal viola at the Lansing Symphony, Miami Symphony and eventually the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, where he currently works to this day.

Cespedes was first introduced to Trinity as a performer, not a teacher. After visiting the Trinity campus for the first time, Cespedes became acquaintances with former symphony teacher Maureen May. When he learned that May was planning on retiring at the conclusion of the year, Cespedes jumped at the opportunity to instruct students at the high school level.

Cespedes primarily came to Trinity as the new symphony teacher, but also plans to start a club that will help students learn about and take care of the campus ecosystem. He hopes to redefine the symphony program and leave a lasting mark on Trinity for years to come.

“One of my passions as a musician is to teach inspiring young artists,” Cespedes said. He has high hopes for the future of the program, with his long-term goals being “to support the program with numbers and quality, giving students every opportunity to succeed.”