ABOUT US

We Are Virtuoso

It all started with Gustavo Sierra, a highly recognized Guitarist and composer from Colombia. He was born in Ibague, the capital of Tolima, Colombia on December 3, 1940. At the age of 17, he entered the popular culture institute of Cali, where he began his studies of tiple and bandola, typical Colombian instruments. There he ventured with his talents as a composer and guitarist. Uniquely enough he was a self-taught prodigy. He became an instant success after only a few years of training and created a unique pedagogical method for tiple and bandola when he found himself short on what the teachers could provide him.

Due to his massive success in his pedagogical methods, he became a professor at the institution he started learning music. In 1962, Maestro Alfonzo Valdiri, a professor at the Popular Institute of Culture immediately recognized Gustavo Sierra prodigy talents and introduced him to the Antonio Maria Valencia Conservatory where he continued his formal studies in Music with his main instrument the Classical Guitar. At Antonio Maria Valencia Music Conservatory, he received a scholarship and graduated as a classical guitarist with great honors. In 1967 he was appointed director of the student body of the Popular Institute of Culture. A year after in 1968 he founded the Estudiantentina Santiago de Cali (String Guitar Orchestra), his most famous musical group, with which he brilliantly emerged on the national musical scene, winning the Golden Tiple and the First Prize in Neiva Anselmo Duran Plazas Competition at the Bambuco Festival.

Our Great Team

Vincent Wayne

Violin/Piano Program Teacher

Jaffird Sierra

Master Voice/Piano Program

Victoria Sierra

Dance Program Teacher

My children have grown considerably in their skills and quality of life. I appreciate the power of music for my children.

- Jack Stevenson -

VIRTUOSO

In 1977 he founded the Bandola and Tiple School at the Popayan Conservatory, both as a professor of popular guitar and as a prominent professor of classical guitar. But this was just one of many great accomplishments as a music educator. Throughout his life, he was director of many important groups throughout the country, in addition to being a great composer and lyricist writer, he also implemented a folk guitar program at Cali Conservatory of Colombia. He performed in the best theaters and TV shows throughout Colombia with his orchestral guitar
groups, and also as a classical concert artist playing his best compositions and concertos with orchestras in Colombia. During his arrival in Cali in his youth, he met Vilma Pantoja, whom he married, and with whom he had three children: Jaffird, Gustavo Alberto, and Victoria Sierra.

His children immediately entered the world of the arts at a very young age through his massive influence as a prominent guitarist, composer, and educator. Jaffird Sierra began her venture as a professional pianist and singer-soprano graduated at the prestigious entity in Cali Colombia University of Valle. Gustavo Alberto Sierra took the same steps and became like his father: a classical guitarist. In addition to studying other instruments such as the violin, the treble, the trumpet, and percussion, Gustavo son became one of the best Band directors in the city of Cali. Victoria Sierra decided to take a different route, yet on the borders of the arts, she decided to become a professional dancer. She graduated from a well-known school for the arts Incolballet. Immediately after graduating, she started touring all over the world. Including Argentina and even as far as going to Italy to perform with huge artists like Andrea Bocelli. Her family Gustavo Sierra, her sister Jaffird Sierra, and her brother Gustavo Sierra stayed in her home country where they decided to form a music academy in 1987.

The Music Academy was an instant success, having Gustavo Sierra as the founder, mentored and influenced hundreds of students to become prominent artists that many to this day are well known in the music industry all over the globe.

Decades later after an incredible success with the Music Academy that provided a powerful impact on the music industry in Colombia, in 2001 Jaffird Sierra decided to venture off on a new expedition of hopes and dreams. The eldest daughter of Maestro Gustavo Sierra emigrated to the United States having completed her studies in piano pedagogy at the Cali Conservatory and with a degree in music with an emphasis on lyrical singing at the Universidad del Valle. Upon arriving in the United States, Jaffird Sierra began a master’s degree in Exceptional Students Education at Southeastern Nova University where she received her degree in education with exceptional abilities. After she graduated, she began her incredible experience working with children with special needs for over 15 years which led her to a path of creating her Music program that acts as a music therapy called Music BrainWorks program. Her son also took an incredible musical path.

Jaffird’s son Vincent Wayne, who is the only one of Gustavo Sierra’s grandchildren who continued his legacy as a musician did his first formal music studies at the Antonio Maria Valencia Conservatory in Colombia at the age of six years old. Vincent Wayne studied two instruments, the piano, and the violin, including music theory and ear training. But at the age of 8 years old, he left for the United States, where he received piano lessons with his mother and with prominent violin teachers, including Thomas Moore; concert Master of the Orchestra of the Americas and a professor at the University of Miami. Vincent Wayne had also the opportunity to go to several outstanding violin Music Festivals with full scholarships all over the United States where he studied with teachers from Julliard’s and other prominent conservatories. He was also part of many Youth Florida Orchestras for many years where he had the opportunity to be a first violin chair. At a very young age, he got the experience to play at the highest level with incredible youth Orchestras and was trained by the best teachers in the United States. Vincent Wayne’s high level of training as such a young age gave him the opportunity to start teaching piano and violin at the age of 16 years old with multiple music academies in south Florida working with musicians with bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees. His talent was already matching players that had university experience, due to the fact he was incredibly talented at the age of sixteen. He also took hundreds of master classes on the Piano and Violin with outstanding players including Steinway Artist Tao Lin, Paul Posnack, and Huifang Chen. Venturing off on a quest to become one of the best teachers and players on the violin and piano by training with prodigies and international competition winners. His education took a turn in a different
direction, contrary to the norms of the University based traditional educational approach. Vincent Wayne decided to directly learn from the best players in a unique take on music education. Now he is currently an active member of the Broward Symphony as a first violinist and performs with luxurious event agencies all over the United States. Vincent Wayne music education experience also surpasses most expectations, having started his teaching experience at sixteen years of age, to now having over twenty years of experience teaching over hundreds if not thousands of
students.

Having all this background in music education and going back decades in a beautiful web of traditional family musical values, Jaffird together with her son Vincent Wayne and her sister Victoria Sierra decided to take on a massive project of building a music conservatory, Virtuoso Conservatory. A tremendous dream to bring about a Music school with the intention of bringing a conservatory-based curriculum where it is only provided at a University level in the United States, but now will be available to the youth. By doing so, providing a thorough music education to the community. To create prodigies, and an incredible music program for children of all ages, learning music theory, ear training, composition, and a breakthrough music therapeutic program for children with special needs. An absolute Julliard-like school for children, adults, and all abilities.