Dr. Cesar Leal (Photo Mary Frasier/The Gettysburgian)
By Cam D’Amica, Features Editor
Dr. César Leal has joined the Sunderman Conservatory of Music as Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities. Originally from Colombia, he has lived in both the United States and Europe throughout his life, receiving his bachelor’s degree from Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, his master’s degree from Florida International University, and a PhD in musicology from the University of Kentucky.
Leal grew up around music and said, “I don’t remember a time when I knew I wanted to do something different.”
He has had many educational interests that included business and psychology, but music was always a part of his life. At around the age of 16, he realized that he could make music his career.
Leal chose to come to Gettysburg because of the unique opportunity to combining a liberal arts education with a rigorous music conservatory. He decided that it was the perfect fit for his training and his professional goals, where he could be a part of a conservatory with dedicated and passionate students, a faculty at the highest level, and a liberal arts approach.
Listen: Leal joins “On Target” to discuss his first impressions of Gettysburg College
He is most excited about working with students and seeing what they can accomplish.
Of his early interactions with students, Leal said, “I have been able to challenge students to a level I would have never imagined, and it is inspiring.”
