Classical guitarist Leonela Alejandro, grand-prize winner of the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, performs Thursday, July 23, at 7:30 p.m. inside the sanctuary at Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Blvd.
The concert is the fourth installment of the Community Arts Program's 41st summer season, a six-concert series running every other Thursday through August 20.
Alejandro, from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, started formal music training at age seven and has won first prize at more than a dozen competitions, including the Louisville Guitar Festival, Indiana Guitar Festival, and Chicago Guitar Festival. She completed graduate studies with Dr. Andrew Zohn at Columbus State University in 2023 before claiming the Rose Augustine Grand Prize at the GFA competition the following year.
Her former teacher, guitarist René Izquierdo, has called her "a great player" who is "bold and unique as a musician and a person," according to the City of Coral Gables event listing for the concert.
Concerts take place inside the church's Spanish Colonial Revival sanctuary, designed by architect Richard Kiehnel for city founder George Merrick. The church, founded in 1923, bills itself as the oldest continuously operating organization in Coral Gables and sits directly across De Soto Boulevard from the Biltmore Hotel.
Mark Hart, CAP's executive and artistic director, oversees the series. Ticket prices and availability are posted at communityartsprogram.org/tickets/. Residents can also call CAP at 305-448-7421, ext. 120. All tickets include free parking.
Following each Thursday concert, CAP hosts a Friday morning master class and jam session where children, youth, and adults can work directly with the performing artist. The session following Alejandro's performance takes place Friday, July 24.
Upcoming CAP Summer Concert Series dates
- Thursday, August 7 — performer to be announced, 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, August 20 — Kate Kortum (first-prize winner, 2025 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition), 7:30 p.m., series finale
All concerts at Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Blvd. Tickets and series packages: communityartsprogram.org/tickets/.
