Praised for her “rich, heartfelt orchestral sound” (Chicago Sun-Times), “rhythmic vitality” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “raw power” (LA Times), Colombian-American Lina Gonzalez-Granados has distinguished herself nationally and internationally as a singularly-talented young conductor. Her powerful interpretations of the symphonic and operatic repertoire, as well as her dedication to highlighting new and unknown works by Latin-American composers, have earned her international recognition, most recently as the recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the Third Prize and ECHO Special Award (European Concert Hall Organization) of La Maestra Competition, as well as the 2020 and 2021 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award.
CompLETE BIOGRAPHYBefore Saturday’s showcase— which will take place at Verizon Hall on the Kimmel Cultural Campus—Lina Gonzalez-Granados talked about how it is she came to the conductor’s baton, to Philadelphia, and to her leadership role.
"The program is unique in the way it is devised. The book is one that kids from the Kauffman Center wrote, and the aesthetic idea comes from the need to reframe this story as they feel fit. Kids of this age being responsible for that goal – there is pride in that, and beauty. The Philadelphia Orchestra are helpers in that. My role here is to curate, to create a libretto based on their book and their experiences writing, to put them at the center of the story. They love how people are rediscovering Price and other Black women composers. This is a story from the kids for the kids. African-American music is American music – that is important to know."
Last September, Colombia-born Lina González-Granados was appointed the new resident conductor of the L.A. Opera, a post she'll hold through June 2025. The internationally recognized conductor is dedicated to highlighting new and unknown works by Latin-American composers. Learn how González-Granados fell in love with music and overcomes challenges in a historically male-dominated industry.