Fabiola Mendez

Fabiola Méndez, a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, is a virtuoso of the Puerto Rican cuatro, a traditional 5-double string guitar. Her journey with this unique instrument began at the age of six, and she has since been educated at various prestigious institutions, including the Berklee College of Music, where she became the first student to graduate with the Puerto Rican cuatro as her principal instrument in 2018.

Over the years, Méndez has collaborated with a plethora of organizations and artists, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Totó La Momposina, and Pedro Capó. Her discography includes standout albums like "Cuatro Sinfónico" (2019), "Al Otro Lado Del Charco" (2019), and "Afrorriqueña" (2021), each of which were recognized as part of the best 20 productions of their respective years by the National Foundation for Popular Culture. In addition to her music, Méndez has also ventured into filmmaking with her 2022 documentary "Negrura", which spotlights Afro-Latinx narratives centered on colorism and discrimination.

Méndez's contributions to music have earned her numerous accolades, including the Quincy Jones Award, the Brother Thomas Fellowship 2021, and the ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award 2022. She also serves as an ambassador for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC and was recognized by the Puerto Rican House of Representatives as the first cuatro player to graduate from Berklee.

Presently, Méndez performs her original music with her trio both nationally and internationally. She is an artist in residence for the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, a fellow for Whippoorwill Arts, and contributes her talents to children's animated series as a composer, working on shows like PBS Kids' "Alma's Way", "Work It Out Wombats", and HBO Max's "Mecha Builders", produced by Sesame Street.