BEL CANTO INSTITUTE: SAN MIGUEL
A US non-profit corporation under
IRS section 501(c)(3). All donations
are tax deductible from US income tax.
The Maria Abel Recital Series
Maria Abel was the President of Casa de Europa en Mexico for several years. She was a kind, generous, and intelligent woman. She gave the Bel Canto Institute: San Miguel a "home" when we desperately needed one. A place to teach and perform. She was always, along with her husband, Goerdt, a full-fledged supporter of Bel Canto. When Maria died in February 2020, we were devastated at the loss of not just a supporter, but a very close friend. We wanted to honor her memory and so we created a recital series with the intention of hosting the first season beginning in the fall of 2020. Then along came the Covid-19 pandemic and those plans were put on hold but not forgotten.
Finally in January 2024 we debuted the Maria Abel Recital Series with Met Opera and Bel Canto alumna, soprano Yunuet Laguna, and Bel Canto's Music Director, Ted Taylor at the piano. There was no better way to start.
Who was Maria Abel
Cultural and social affairs always formed an integral part of her private and professional life; undoubtedly, her love for art and culture was in her blood as a descendant of the family of the great Austrian musician Josef Haydn. In addition to her role as the finance director of an international company, she served as the regional director for the development of educational and cultural programs. She also worked as a counselor and administrator for renowned companies in Germany and the United States. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to social and cultural promotion, supporting activities of various prestigious regional and communal institutions in the United States and Germany (Pittsburgh Symphony Association, D.T Watson Rehabilitation Hospital, Carl Duisburg Society).
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Upon arriving in San Miguel de Allende, her altruistic spirit led her to continue contributing and collaborating with various civil organizations. She became acquainted with the Casa Europa México project and began her involvement in it for some time until she became its vice president. In 2017, she gladly accepted the offer from Engineer Fernando Balderas to represent the cultural, educational, and scientific interests of the beautiful city of San Miguel de Allende and the region when she assumed the position of president.
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Despite going through a very challenging time due to her less than optimal health, María Abel never gave up. On the contrary, her love for San Miguel de Allende and Casa Europa México motivated her to keep fighting. It was then that a countless number of events were organized, thanks to her enthusiasm for bringing different artistic expressions to the people of San Miguel and preserving, within this building, a space for cultural exchange between Mexico and Europe.