Lina González-Granados
© Todd Rosenberg
“A show of raw power, an aural force to glue you to your seat.” – Los Angeles Times
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.
After winning the Fourth Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition, Lina was named the new Solti Conducting Apprentice under the guidance of Maestro Riccardo Muti, from February 2020 and continuing through June 2023. Last season, she was also appointed Resident Conductor by the LA Opera, a post she will hold thru June 2025, opening this season with a production of Lucia de Lammermoor. She has also held positions as Conducting Fellow of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Seattle Symphony.
Lina’s 2022-23 season brings her back to the Seattle Symphony, along with highly-anticipated debuts with the Orchestre Métropolitain, NACO, Indianapolis Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Philadelphia Opera, Borusan Philharmonic, Aalborg Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, as well as performances at Caramoor and Grafenegg Festivals.
Her momentous 2021-22 season highlights included heralded debuts with the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, Chicago Symphony (an acclaimed last-minute stand-in), New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony (USA), Houston Symphony, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Kristiansand Symphony, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Polish National Radio Symphony, Orquesta del Principado de Asturias, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and Tenerife Symphony. She also led a production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Dallas Opera.
Born and raised in Cali, Colombia, Lina made her conducting debut in 2008 with the Youth Orchestra of Bellas Artes. She holds a Master’s Degree in Conducting with Charles Peltz, a Graduate Diploma in Choral Conducting from New England Conservatory with Erica Washburn, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University. Her principal mentors include Riccardo Muti, Marin Alsop, Bernard Haitink, Bramwell Tovey and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.