The Romantic Provocations of a Poem: Violinist Verónica Reyes Toscaeva and the Magic of Chausson

The profound emotions stirred in Cuban violinist Verónica Reyes Toscaeva by Poème, Opus 25, by French Romantic composer Ernest Chausson were among the key motivations that led her to perform the piece for the Classical Music Stars International Competition – Spring 2025, where she was awarded First Prize.

For the accomplished violinist—Assistant Concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba—the work poses both a technical and performing challenge. She recalls first hearing it as a teenager on CMBF Radio Musical Nacional: “I fell in love with the piece,” she says.

For this online video-based competition, Reyes Toscaeva chose Chausson’s Opus 25 «because in a way I wanted to pay tribute to my teacher, Augusto Diago, who prepared the piece with me for my graduation recital in middle school. I love the blend of sorrowful, melancholic moments with that sense of hope at the end. It’s a piece I adore and that has stayed with me over the years. I’ve always held it close to my heart for everything it represents to me.»

But there were other compelling reasons, as she explained in an interview with Radio Enciclopedia: “My own students, both at elementary and intermediate levels, encouraged me to perform as a soloist. That interaction in class, those conversations—they wanted to see me in that role. In fact, several of my students have won awards in international online competitions.”

Classical Music Stars is a global competition open to classical musicians of all ages. The results of the Spring 2025 edition were announced in late April. Its main goal is to recognize outstanding talent within the classical music community and to offer awards that can help launch international careers. The competition also promotes musical exploration and personal growth in a supportive environment designed to foster motivation.
More at: https://classicalmusicstars.com

Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25, is a single-movement concerto composed by Chausson in 1896 for Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. It is structured in three interconnected sections. Chausson himself arranged an alternative version for string quartet, violin, and piano. Music scholars note that the work’s free-form style captivated fellow French composer Claude Debussy, who admired its harmonious proportions.

In addition to her performing career, Verónica Reyes Toscaeva has made notable contributions to music education. Since 2013, she has taught at the National School of Music and the Alejandro García Caturla Elementary Music School, where she has developed pedagogical and research-driven approaches to violin instruction. Her efforts have focused especially on incorporating Cuban repertoire into elementary-level curricula.

A key initiative has been her creation of the Festival of Cuban Music for Bowed Strings (violin, viola, cello, and double bass), which began at the García Caturla school and later expanded into a national event. The festival aims to nurture love for Cuban music and promote awareness of its genres and cultural value. The first edition, held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was broadcast on the YouTube channel of Cuba’s National Center for Art Schools (CNEArt) and received positive feedback.

In May 2023, she organized the festival’s second edition, with wide participation from elementary and intermediate students across the country. The event took place in person at the Argeliers León Hall of the National Center for Concert Music, and was also streamed online through the festival’s Facebook page.

During the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Reyes Toscaeva recorded a series of Televised Educational Activities for violin students and teachers at the elementary and intermediate levels. The 15-episode series was produced with the guidance of Maestro Carmen Amador, recipient of Cuba’s National Award for Artistic Education (2018).

A graduate of the University of the Arts (ISA) in 2003, where she studied under Evelio Tieles and Augusto Diago, Reyes Toscaeva completed a Master’s degree in Music, Education, and Society in 2021 at the Enrique José Varona University of Pedagogical Sciences, under the mentorship of Dr. Paula Sánchez.