Patricia Vlieg – Music Educator and Cultural Ambassador

Patricia Vlieg is a renowned Panamanian music educator, performer, and cultural ambassador, distinguished for her multifaceted talents as a singer, pianist, guitarist, composer, arranger, and music researcher.
Her diverse musical background and extensive experience have made her a sought-after figure in the world of music education (jazz and Latin American musics).

Academic Background

A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Patricia honed her vocal technique at the New England Conservatory of Music. This solid academic foundation has equipped her with a deep understanding of world music and proficiency in various languages (Japanese, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French).

Teaching and Academic Commitment

Patricia has been invited by the Berklee College of Music to serve as a faculty member in the Berklee Latino program. Additionally, she has been part of the teaching team for the Music Business diploma at the IESA management school program and the City of Knowledge, a government-sponsored cluster of academic organizations, technology companies and non-governmental organizations in Panama.  She has also lectured at the University of Panama.

International Performer

Patricia’s musical talents have allowed her to grace prestigious stages across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Patricia has embarked on extensive tours throughout Japan, captivating audiences in major cities like Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, and Hamamatsu, as well as at esteemed venues such as the Okura Hotel and Hotel Gajoen in Tokyo, Kansai Bunka Center, and Min-On Cultural Center. Her ability to
seamlessly blend diverse musical styles has led to collaborations with celebrated artists like Paquito D’Rivera, Lila Downs, and Cheo Hurtado, further enriching her global artistic footprint.

Cultural Ambassador

Beyond her artistic endeavors, Patricia excels as a speaker, combining music and words in presentations that foster human growth through themes such as cultural understanding, inclusion, empathy, and art as a catalyst for development. She is also the creator and host of the series “Puentes y Diálogos,” where she conducts interviews and artistic collaborations.Awards and RecognitionThroughout her career, Patricia has received numerous awards and recognitions from academic, governmental, civic, and scientific organizations in Panama and internationally, including the QuincyJones Award, the Solo and Ensemble Award, and the Professional Achievement Award from the Berklee College of Music.
With her multifaceted talent, commitment to the arts, and integrative vision, Patricia Vlieg stands as a cultural ambassador who inspires and bridges different artistic and cultural expressions through her music and educational endeavors.

Patricia Vlieg seeks to create, through her work, opportunities for collaboration and encounter that foster the appreciation of Panama’s intangible cultural heritage, as well as the knowledge and deeper understanding of the world’s cultural expressions and how these are a reflection of different ways of feeling, thinking and relating. Through these processes, she generates spaces that promote values such as tolerance, respect for diversity, inclusion, empathy and solidarity.

  • Bridges and Dialogues Concert – to celebrate 120 Anniversary of Panama Japan Diplomatic International Relations.
  • Participated as guest speaker at the 5th edition of MOSAICO: Panama, Country of Opportunities, June 2023
  • Opening of the Eighth OUR OCEAN, the Great Blue Connection Conference, Panama, March 2023.
  • Concert “Panama Inspires Us”, on the occasion of the celebration of CAF’s 25th anniversary in the country, July 2022.
  • Closing of the Perceptual Art Exhibition “Dialogues between Senses”, Interoceanic Canal Museum, Panama, July 2019.
  • Cabanga Japan Tour 2019, Tokyo, Kobe, Imabari, Gifu, Nagoya, Hamamatsu – May-June 2019.
  • Opening of the 16th edition of the Congress of RedPOP (Network for the Popularization of Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean) Conference-Concert “Cruce de Caminos” (Crossing of Paths), Teatro Ateneo, City of Knowledge, Panama – April 2019
  • Concert “Divas del Mundo”, Teatro Anayansi, Panama – March 2019
  • Vaishnav Jan to audiovisual production, commissioned by the Government of India, on behalf of Panama, for the global project in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Panama – November 2018
  • TRAMA, Ateneo, City of Knowledge, Charla Cabanga, Contemporary Folklore, Panama – May 2018
  • Arranger, producer and performer of the project Palabra Vital (20 Inspirational Songs by Ana Lucía Vlieg), Panama – November 2017.
  • Festival de las Almas, Michoacán, Mexico – October 2017
  • Takayama Concert, Gifu, Japan – July 2017
  • City Official Concert, Nagoya, Japan – July 2017
  • Guataca Nights, Puentes Concert, Panama – June 2017
  • Berklee Latino Program, REC Música, Mexico City, Mexico – May 2017
  • Berklee Latino Program, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City campus, Mexico – May 2017
  • David Fairgrounds, Cabanga, August Panama – August 2015
  • Anayansi Theater, Cabanga, Panama – August 2015
  • Catholic Biblical Federation Congress, Rome, Italy – June 2015
  • International Jazz Day, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – April 2014
  • Eduardo Britto National Theater, Singer-songwriters and the art of making songs, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – May 2014
  • Santo Domingo Jazz Festival, Casa de Teatro, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – June 2014
  • Un Pueblo en su voz, Tribute to Mercedes Sosa, Caseros, Buenos Aires, Argentina – October 2014
  • With the orchestra “Juan de Dios Filiberto” under the direction of Popi Spatocco, at the Teatro del Globo, Buenos Aires, Argentina – October 2014
  • Angel Musical Academy, Bogota, Colombia – August 2013
  • Ao Vivo Bar, Sao Paolo, Brazil – April 2012
  • VI Meeting of Women in Folklore, Teatro del Viejo Mercado, September 2012.
  • Concert series of the IX Encounter of Popular Musicians “Argentina in Rosario”, Centro Cultural Lavardén, Rosario, Argentina – August 2012
  • ILBS Benefit Evening, Hotel Okura, Tokyo, Japan – September 2011
  • Café Vinilo, Buenos Aires, Argentina – December 2011
  • Fourth Chinto Mendoza Festival – Baja California, Mexico – April 2010
  • Celebration of Latino Culture – Berklee College of Music, Boston Massachusetts – November 2009
  • Catholic Biblical Federation Congress, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania, Africa – June 2008
DISTINCTIONS:
  • Acknowledgement to Patricia Vlieg as Ambassador of Interculturality by the Ambassador of Japan in Panama.
  • Professional Achievement Award, Berklee College of Music.
  • Quincy Jones Award, Berklee College of Music.
  • Solo and Ensemble Award, Berklee College of Music.
  • Best Album of 2015 by Zachary-Jones portal.
  • Five video clips of CABANGA’s visual production chosen as “Best Videos of 2015” by the Zachary-Jones portal.
  • Videoclip “Historia de un amor”, special recognition at the Hayah – Panama International Film Festival 2016.
Tracks from the album “Cabanga”, included in the soundtracks of:
  • Film “DONAIRE Y ESPLENDOR” by director Arturo Montenegro.
  • Video Alterities of CINE ANIMAL
  • Documentary Rutas y Colores, an ARTICRUZ production.
  • DocuArte Panama, a documentary produced by Arlene Lachman and Nancy Calvo.
Discography:
  • Tus Promesas
  • Origin
  • To a Cantora
  • Cabanga from the series Panama en el corazón.