The Tres Palos Ensemble has quickly established itself as one of Colombia’s leading chamber music groups. Founded in 2009, the ensemble has earned top honors in major competitions, including the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá’s prestigious chamber music competition and the Luis Ángel Arango Library competition. In 2021, the group was awarded the Bogotá Chamber Music Groups Award. Tres Palos has performed in Colombia’s most important concert halls and was featured at the 2019 Los Cabos International Chamber Music Festival in Mexico. Dedicated to innovation and artistic exploration, the ensemble is passionate about promoting Colombian and Latin American music to broader audiences. Outside of their work as a trio, members perform with ensembles such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the National Symphonic Band of Colombia, and the Nueva Filarmonía Orchestra. They are also committed educators, serving as professors at Colombian universities.
Viviana Salcedo – Oboe
Viviana Salcedo is Assistant Principal Oboe of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, a founding member of the Tres Palos Ensemble, and an oboe professor at both the Universidad Central and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. She has performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Southbank Sinfonia, Britten-Pears Symphony Orchestra, and Penderecki Music Academy Westfalen. Viviana has received numerous accolades, including the Paddy Purcell Award, Barri Grimaldi Prize for English Solo, and the Janet Craxton Memorial Prize in England. In Colombia, she won the X Concurso de Interpretación Musical “Ciudad de Bogotá,” the Young Performers Series at the Luis Ángel Arango Library (2011), and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Cali’s Young Soloists competition. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, she studied there on a Young Talents Scholarship from Colombia’s Bank of the Republic. She completed her undergraduate studies at the National University of Colombia and began her training at the Batuta Meta Foundation in Villavicencio.
José Gómez – Clarinet
José Gómez is a Colombian clarinetist and member of La Sociedad Ensemble, the Clarinet Quartet of Bogotá, the Tres Palos Ensemble, and the Nueva Filarmonía Orchestra. He teaches at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the District University, and the National University of Colombia, and is the founder and organizer of Bogotá’s International Clarinet Festival, “Claribogotá.” José has served as assistant principal clarinet of the Medellín Philharmonic, guest principal of the Bogotá Philharmonic, and performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Pittsburgh Opera Theater Orchestra, and the National Symphonic Band of Colombia. He has given recitals, concerts, and masterclasses across the Americas and Europe. His studies include a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from Duquesne University (USA), a specialization in Interpretation from the Conservatory of Salamanca (Spain), and undergraduate studies at the National University of Colombia. Born in Popayán, he began his musical training with his father, Javier Gómez, and in the Timbio-Cauca wind band.
Fáber Cardozo – Bassoon
Fáber Cardozo is the principal bassoonist at the National Symphonic Band of Colombia, a professor at Javeriana University, and a founding member of Tres Palos Ensemble, with which he has won several competitions. He was also a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia and a founding member of the Young Philharmonic Orchestra of Colombia. Fáber has been a professor at the School of Musical Education in Tocancipá and a member of its symphonic band. He was a fellow at the Cartagena International Music Festival in 2012 and 2017. He earned second place in the 2012 National Bassoon Competition, third place in the 2010 National Student Bassoon Competition, and won the 2010 Young Soloists Competition organized by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Cali. Fáber completed his Master of Music at the Universidad de los Andes and his undergraduate degree at the National University of Colombia. He was born in Ibagué, Colombia.