Barráez
Rodolfo Barráez
Assistant Conductor, Ann Ronus Chair
About this Artist
A natural communicator with infectious charisma, Berlin-based Venezuelan conductor Rodolfo Barráez brings remarkable vivacity, sensitivity, and zeal to his artistry. The 2023/24 season sees him join the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra as Assistant Conductor and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela as Associate Conductor, in addition to starting his second season as Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He also joins the Opéra national de Paris this season as Conductor-in-Residence.
Awarded first prize at the 2023 Hong Kong International Conducting Competition, he also received first prize at the 2018 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México International Conducting Competition (OFUNAM) and second prize at the 2020 Siemens-Hallé International Conductors Competition in Manchester.
The 2022/23 season saw Barráez debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Münchener Kammerorchester on its tour of South America, and the Gävle Symfoniorkester, among others. Some recent guest conducting performances were with Orchestre Appassionato at the Verbier Festival 2022, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, The Hallé Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTVE, Filarmónica de Bogotá, Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán, Orquesta Sinfónica de Querétaro, Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería.
Future highlights include performances with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro Radio Televisión Española, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra on tour in Asia.
Having completed a Bachelor’s degree in conducting at the Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Artes de Venezuela, Barráez pursued both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. Influenced by his experience as part of El Sistema under the guidance of José Antonio Abreu and Teresa Hernández, Barráez is committed to contributing to music education. In 2019, Barráez founded the Falcón Conducting Workshop, an organization that nurtures and supports emerging conductors through master-class and workshop series in his hometown as well as worldwide at renowned institutions such as the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas. As part of El Sistema Greece, and supported by the Hilti Foundation, Barráez provided performance training to young musicians from under-resourced communities in Greece, furthering his passion for bringing young people together through music performance and education.
Barráez formed the intrinsic roots of his conducting career as an eminent violinist. Previously a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica Teresa Carreño de Venezuela, he has performed under Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, and Gustavo Dudamel at venues such as Teatro alla Scala Milan, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Salzburg Festival, and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space.