Born in Havana, Cuba. At the age of 9, he entered the selective Cuba’s Art Education Schools System, earning degrees in percussion, music education, and choral conducting. In 2020, he gained a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Conducting at Georgia State University.
Ernesto has had very active professional development. He was the Assistant Conductor of the National Chorus of Cuba. Principal conductor of D’Profundis Chamber Choir. He was the Conductor and Coordinator of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic / ISA Orchestra, with whom he performed at Chicago Auditorium Theater in 2015. As Musical Director and Conductor of Mano a Mano Vocal Ensemble in Havana, he performed a USA Tour around 14 states in 2016 and recorded the single “You have more friends than you know” by Jeff Marx, composer of Boradway´s famous musical Avenue Q, with the collaboration of legendary Paulinho da Costa, Los Angeles, CA. He has worked professionally with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, the Chamber Orchestra of Havana, Exaudi, and Coralina Chamber Choir. Also, he was the Conductor and Founder of the Vocal ALMA Female Ensemble in Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
Ernesto has received several awards from the National Council of the Performing Arts of Cuba, the University of the Arts, and the Ministry of Culture of Cuba. As a teacher, he worked as a Graduate Assistant / Assistant Conductor at Georgia State University. He was a Professor of Artistic Practice at the Department of University Cultural Extension, University of the Arts, ISA, in Havana for several years. Also, he was a Professor at the National School of Music, ENA, in Havana and at the Conservatory of Music in Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
He currently serves as faculty at the Washington Conservatory of Music. Furthermore, he works with his mentor, Maestro Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, with the Georgetown University Orchestra. He is the Musical Director and Conductor of the Takoma Mandoleers. He has worked as a guest conductor and musical director for the Alliance for New Music-Theatre, among several groups in the DC area.
