Freddy Vilches

Freddy Vilches Meneses is a composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist based in Portland, OR. Originally from Santiago, Chile, Freddy has performed and recorded with several bands in Latin America and the US, and performs regularly with his own Latin ensembles.

His symphonic works have been featured by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Montevideo, the Willamette Valley Orchestra, the Lewis & Clark Orchestra, the Reed College Orchestra, and other orchestras in Bolivia, and the US. His choral works have been performed by Resonance Vocal Ensemble, ACDA NW, and the NAU Choir. His most recent compositions “Latin American Suite” and “Abya Yala Choral Suite” are starting to gain national and international recognition, and are scheduled to be performed next year in Bolivia, Cuba, Canada, and the US.

Freddy holds a PhD in Latin American Literature from the University of Oregon, specializing in Latin American Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries. His research interests include Latin American literature, music, and film. He is an Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark College in the Department of World Languages and Literatures. He is also instructor of several traditional instruments (charango, cuatro, and Afro-Cuban percussion), and directs the Latin American Ensemble in the Music Department.