bahlest eeble performer fellows
2019-2020

Andrea González Caballero, guitar

Operaworld Magazine describes Andrea González Caballero as “the female voice of the Spanish guitar”. Andrea is a laureate of multiple prestigious international guitar competitions, receiving First Prize and Special Prize at the “XL International Competition F. Sor” (Rome), and First Prize at the “XIII Alhambra International Guitar Competition” (Valencia), of which she was the youngest guitarist to receive first prize.

The BBC Music Magazine described her as one of today’s young rising stars of the classical guitar.. Andrea has appeared at international festivals and concert series around the world. Recent highlights include performances at Palau de la Música in Barcelona, National Auditorium and Juan March Foundation in Madrid, as well as performances with Sinfonietta Ratingen and Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany. Selected by the International Guitar Foundation of London to perform as soloist in international music festivals such as the “London Guitar Festival”, she debuted in the UK offering concerts at venues like King’s Cross in London and Sage Gateshead in Newcastle.

Andrea’s 2017 Naxos CD, which contains the premiere of new guitar compositions and pieces by composers like B.Britten, Albébiz or Tárrega was received with great acclaim: “this album is a delicate, elegant and majestic musical word” (Golden Melomano distinction by Melomano Magazine).

Andrea has been supported by “Alexander von Humboldt Foundation”, “DAAD” (German Academic Exchange Service), “AIE” (Society of Performing Artists of Spain) and “Provincial Council of Guipuzcoa” to study at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf (Germany), where she graduated with honors. Andrea is currently a Manuel Barrueco student at Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University.

Camille Crossot, soprano

Camille Crossot is a soprano and poet living in Baltimore. She is deeply interested in rhetoric and communication across media. In 2020, she will appear in Kate Soper's Here Be Sirens with In Series in Washington, DC. She holds degrees in English (Harvard College, AB 2016) and Vocal Performance (Peabody Institute, MM 2018).

John Johnston, baritone

John Johnston is a versatile singer and sound maker from the Canadian Prairies. He is a recent recipient of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for his research and performance of Yiddish-language Lieder by Canadian composers.

John currently studies with Patricia Green and Charmaine Fopoussi as a graduate student at Western University. Lacking a primary musical focus, John has sung a wide array of musical works. Last summer, John and collaborative pianist Zain Solinski were one of fifteen duos invited to attend the Franz-Schubert-Institut, a five-week master course in the interpretation of German Lieder in Baden-bei-Wien, Austria.

John's most recent opera credits include the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and Gad Beck in Jake Heggie's Out of Darkness. John is a graduate of Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with William Sharp and Dr. Robert Muckenfuss.

Jennifer Kim, guitar

Hailed by Pepe Romero as a “wonderful musician and guitarist” who he believes will “grow into a great artist,” Jennifer Kim is developing an international reputation for her stunning virtuosity and sensitive musicality. Ms. Kim's concerts include performing the Concierto de Aranjuez by J. Rodrigo at the 90th Gala Celebration of the American Guitar Society in 2013, and again in March of 2014 with the Mill Valley Philharmonic under conductor Laurie Cohen. In 2015, Jennifer performed her professional debut recitals in Sarasota, Florida at the Artist Series Concerts and toured for the Piatigorsky Foundation. Ms. Kim has performed a solo recital at the Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls, Oregon in November 2016.

At the 2015 Indiana International Guitar Competition, Jennifer at age 17 won first prize in the Open Division for ages 19-35, the youngest winner in the competition’s history. As a Grand Prize Winner of the 25th annual Spotlight Awards held in May 2013, sponsored by the Music Center in Los Angeles, Ms. Kim performed in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the LA Opera. In December 2012, Jennifer performed at the Sarasota Opera House for the NPR program "From the Top" which was broadcast nationally in January 2013 and was awarded the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Jennifer won first prize in the Indiana International Guitar Competition, Senior Youth Division, in November 2012, and co-winner of the Pacific Arts Guitar Competition in 2009.

Currently, Ms. Kim is attending college with Maestro Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory.

Colleen McGonigle, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Colleen McGonigle avidly seeks out the collaborative process of performance, whether as a soloist, chamber musician, or a chorister. She most recently has performed the role of Hannah After in Laura Kaminsky’s chamber opera As One under the direction of James Harp. Ms. McGonigle has completed young artist programs with Opera Steamboat, where she played Dot in Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig, and the Druid City Opera Workshop under the leadership of Dr. Paul Houghtaling. Other roles include Julie Jordan in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, Geraldine in Barber’s A Hand of Bridge, a Street Singer in Bernstein’s MASS, and La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the Bucknell Opera Theatre and the Peabody Opera Theatre. She has additionally worked as a soloist with the Bucknell University Choir (Duruflé Requiem), Deer Creek Chorale (Mass of the Children), and the Peabody Conductor’s Orchestra (Messiah). She is currently a member of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society. 

A Pennsylvania native, Ms. McGonigle earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and completed the degree program for a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance in 2017 at Bucknell University. At Bucknell, she performed in community and school choirs and was a founding member of the Bucknell Early Music Ensemble and the Rooke Chapel Vocal Ensemble. In 2019 she received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Peabody Conservatory where she was awarded the Lynn Taylor Hebden Prize and George Castelle Memorial Award. Ms. McGonigle is currently living and teaching in South-Central PA and actively performs in the Baltimore area.

Rubén Portillo, guitar

Renowned for his dedication and sincere love for guitar music, Rubén Portillo has been praised as "one of the most gifted guitarists" by three-time Latin Grammy Awards nominee classical guitarist, Berta Rojas.

Rubén Portillo has won many competitions in his native Paraguay, including first prizes in the “Momento Musical Competition”, “Young Talent Competition” and “Takuare’e Competition”. Other top awards include an Honorable Mention by the Festival “Lago Ypacarai” and by the “Takuare’e Cultural Society”.

Rubén is frequently invited to perform for different organizations such as Apostar por la Vida Foundation and The Paraguayan-American Cultural Center. He was invited to perform at the United States Embassy his arrangement for classical guitar of the United States National Anthem and Paraguayan National Anthem. His arrangement of the Paraguayan Anthem was the first version for classical guitar in the original key and it got recorded for a music video produced by Telefuturo that still airs on national television in Paraguay. He has also performed with the Ensemble "Pu Rory" directed by Berta Rojas.

Rubén Portillo comes from Ciudad del Este, Paraguay and started playing guitar at the age of 7. In Paraguay, he studied with Agustin Zaracho, Felipe Sosa, Luz Maria Bobadilla and Berta Rojas and in Argentina, with Victor Villadangos. In 2017 he moved to United States to join the studio of Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University where he is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree. Ruben is a recipient of The Tuition Scholarship sponsored by the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

Jesse Washburn, guitar

Following a nomadic childhood spent at sea, Jesse Washburn grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he began studying percussion at the age of 10. At 17, he shifted his focus to classical guitar and went on to earn his Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance at Towson University under Troy King. He then attended the Levine School of Music as a student of Franco Platino.  

As well as drawing from a 500+ year tradition of guitar repertoire, Jesse is an ardent supporter of new music. In 2018, he was selected by the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society to premiere ...of Unnoticed Charm, one of several new works for the guitar at a concert titled Made in Baltimore. He is currently working as a Performer Fellow with the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music to premiere new works for voice and guitar.

Jesse has been a prizewinner at several music competitions, such as 1st prize at the Lieberman Music Competition and 2nd prize at the Appalachian State Guitar Competition collegiate division. He has also attended guitar festivals around the country and participated in over 35 masterclasses with artists such as Jason Vieaux, Denis Azabagić, David Russell, SoloDuo, and The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. 

As well as a promising performer and educator, Jesse is passionate about music advocacy. With the goal of supporting a robust local music community, he has worked closely with the Marlow Guitar Series and the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society, and serves on the Baltimore International Guitar Festival committee.

Jesse currently teaches and performs throughout the area, and is pursuing his Master's of Music in the studio of Manuel Barrueco.