Lina González, the First Colombian Woman To Conduct the New York Philharmonic
Lina González, is the first Colombian woman to lead the New York Philarmonic.
The Woman Post | Catalina Mejía
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She has experience of more than 10 years performing in important venues such as The Alice Tully Hall of the Lincoln Center of New York, Teatro Degollado from Guadalajara, The Jordan Hall from Boston, and has also lectured next to Kenneth Kiesler and Mark Gibson.
González was born in Cali, Colombia, where she debuted during the year 2008 with the Youth Orchestra of Bellas Artes in Cali. She obtained her master's degree in conducting and a graduate diploma in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory and then began pursuing her doctoral degree in orchestral conducting at Boston University.
Im conducting the NYPHIL this week for the first time so felt it was appropriate to come and channel some @Lin_Manuel Latino power to get me going! #latinosinnyc #hamiltonmusical pic.twitter.com/AIWBQlOtL9
— Lina Gonzalez Granados-Conductor (@Linitaconductor) June 7, 2021
González started her tenure as conducting fellow of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2019 to 2020. During the fall of 2019, she was also named as conducting fellow of the Seattle Symphony. Some of her more recent appearances include the Tulsa Opera, where she was the first Latina conductor to lead an important production in the U.S.A.
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Lina has also performed as assistant director for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and as director at The London Philarmonic Orchestra and at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. It is worth mentioning that she has been celebrated for her attention to orchestral colors by Opera Wire and for her ability to create lightning changes in tempo, meter, and effect. Some of her most relevant mentors include Marin Alsop, Bernard Haitink, Bramwell Tovey, Charles Peltz, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Lina proudly promotes the inclusion of new works for chamber and large orchestra, particularly for Latin-American composers. Additionally, she works as artistic director of Unitas Ensemble, which is an orchestra that she founded, for performing the works of Latin composers, and provides access to free community performances. Her work for Unitas has been awarded several prizes such as a Spark Boston Award.
Recently she was also honored with a 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence which is awarded along with a 50.000 career grant, to three artists that early on their careers, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and commitment to leadership and their communities. In a time of political of social complications in her home country, it is worth celebrating the most recent appointment that turns her into the first Colombian woman to lead the New York Philarmonic.
