Students in the Jones Studio
Fall 2024 - Spring 2025
Meet the Pianists of the Future
These amazing students are working diligently to improve their art, one practice at a time. Keep them in your thoughts, and come to our events.
Cristina Meléndez Rascon is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Piano Performance. She began her own piano studio The Academia de Cristina Meléndez and held recitals at the Country Club and Museum of Archeology. Ms. Meléndez will grow her private studio and showcase the music of Mexican piano composers.
B.M. in Commercial Music
B.M. in Commercial Music
Minor in Piano Performance
B.A. in Commercial Music
M.M. in Piano Performance
B.Mus.E. in Piano
M.M. in Piano Performance
B.M. in Piano Performance
Gabriel Parra is a Commercial Piano major and loves listening to and playing music for others. Also a violinist, he was a member of the All-Region Orchestra during his high school days. This is no small task for this elite ensemble! Dedicated, patient, and kind, Gabriel understands the time and effort it takes to become an excellent musician.
Pablo Raposo is a pianist from El Paso, Texas. He has studied piano for over ten years, and currently attends the University of Texas at El Paso. He loves to play with emotion, which is why he loves playing the works of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Liszt.
Aaron Enrique Meza is a Commercial Music major currently studying at the University of Texas at El Paso. Meza learned how to produce music on his own and has created content on Youtube and TikTok. His musical style mainly resides within the genres of synthpop, classical symphony, and progressive rock and roll.
Born in a musical environment, Diego Cháirez has always been very fond of music. He particularly enjoys playing jazz and big band, rock, and music from the Romantic period. Besides the piano, Diego plays the kalimba, arranges pieces for piano and voice, and produces electronic and experimental music. He has released music under several pseudonyms in platforms like SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify.
Beatrice Söderberg was born in New York City to two classical pianists, Martin Söderberg and Cecilia Yibirin. In 2009, at age 18, Ms. Söderberg performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time as a First Prize Winner of the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. The following year, she was a prizewinner at the Farida Dina Primer Concurso de Piano Iberoamericano in the Dominican Republic. In 2012, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College as a student of Professor Diaz-Acosta. Ms. Söderberg is also a violinist, conductor, and lawyer.
Angel Aguayo is a cellist and pianist from El Paso, Texas. At 15, he joined his high school orchestra as a cellist, quickly advancing to the first chair within a year and maintaining that position until graduation. Currently, Angel is pursuing a degree in music education with emphasis on piano at the University of Texas at El Paso, studying with Dr. Dena Kay Jones and taking cello lessons with Michael Way. He aims to attend a conservatory for conducting after graduation, drawing inspiration from Leonard Bernstein and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Nathaniel Ramirez is a Bachelor of Music Piano Performance candidate. He also enjoys singing and performs with UTEP's elite Chorale ensemble, The Chamber Singers. A pensive pianist with excellent reading skills, Nathaniel's interpretations are always unique and true to himself.