After a long period of recess due to isolation, on June 9 and 12, hundreds of New Yorkers enjoyed the New York Philharmonic, which for the first time was directed by a Colombian, Lina González Granados, a Cali At 35 years of age, she is recognized in various capitals of the world for her masterful work and her important achievements in the field of concert music.
The music brought together, after a long time, in the open air and without masks, many citizens, since the health authorities in that city already allowed it.
That experience, the Colombian classical music professional qualifies as “liberating, because it was the first time that I took off my mask to conduct”, which is very significant for her, since the use of the mask requires a greater effort from the musicians. and it made the good flow of communication impossible.
In that park, all the musicians, together, thrilled the spectators under the baton of Lina, who stood out doing what she is most passionate about: communicating through music, which she considers a bridge between one culture and another.
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Conducting the New York Philharmonic, the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, was for her a privilege that came from her commitment and love of art. That is why today she affirms with conviction: “everything I imagined I have achieved, all my dreams I have achieved”.
Her latest achievements have catapulted her. “There were several things that happened to me at the time and that helped my career and my work to be noticed,” he says. For example, he had the opportunity to attend Riccardo Muti, principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She was also the assistant to other directors in Seattle and Philadelphia, United States.
It is worth remembering that whoever occupies the position of assistant in an orchestra, participates from beginning to end of the work; He is the right hand of the director, he must keep him abreast of any changes and be prepared for any eventuality.
So, “in addition to helping with music, and forging relationships with other orchestras, I had a huge exposure,” says Lina González, because “it is not normal for a person to have two assists, they are very competitive fields.” Since, to obtain the position, around 600 people are nominated, of which only 2 are chosen and Lina has been selected several times in well-known American orchestras.
At 35 I can say that everything I imagined I have achieved, all my dreams
I have reached them ”. Lina González Granados, conductor.
New scenarios in life
Because of this, his career has gained great recognition. She assures that people’s eyes began to rest on her.
When talking about music, he radiates joy, he shows that it is the way he expresses himself. That passion for her profession has led her to receive awards such as the La Maestra Award, dedicated to women musical directors, in Paris, in which she ranked third in 2020. In addition, this young woman who shines on international concert music stages, He also won the ECHO Award (European Association of Concert Hall Orchestras -In Spanish).
With each stepping stone that you advance in your career, your desire to know and explore more increases. According to her, “I like to expose myself to new things, I live on that, it feeds my being. At first they feel nervous, as an expectation in the face of exchanges ”, he assures when talking about exposure to new experiences.
It is one of those who must constantly travel to other countries, of different cultures, customs, language. But it does not matter. She knows how to communicate where she goes. “Sometimes we do not share the language or how we feel, but it is important to arrive through music, it is to be able to communicate through it,” he says.
For her, a day at work “is always a new experience, the studio always brings me new music.” That is why he ensures that no matter how hectic his day is, he never gets bored with the routine. He tries to go out daily with the best attitude and has his own ‘rituals’ that allow him to refresh his mind and body to give his best.
For this reason, in order to communicate adequately and for musicians to be able to give and express the best of each piece of music, he explains that, for example, “before going out I like to listen to ‘Queen’, so that it gives me adrenaline. And so, it depends on each routine, in general, it is a very strict exercise, it is necessary to remain calm ”.
The Caleña has had the opportunity to conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Seattle Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others.
Colombia in your heart
He likes to feel that he is close to home, so “I always bring my coffee to any concert, so that I can feel something familiar in foreign countries.” In this way, she recharges to study her scores and fulfill her busy schedule at a fast speed, in which the engine that drives her is art, music.
He considers that “it is essential and difficult, self-knowledge, knowing who you are and how music can take you to other levels, but you can’t offer anything if you don’t know who you are.” That knowledge of herself and the importance she places on her roots is reflected in what she does.
So, since 2015, the director Lina González founded Unitas Ensamble, “with the aim of promoting Latin music in Boston (where she lived), a very conservative city, with a repertoire and culture, but where little is made of Latin American music, not so much as I would like, because you always want to reflect yourself in the culture ”, this dreamy and authentic woman assures with a smile.
That is how he materialized that dream, through which he performed world and North American premieres, as well as free concerts. To fulfill this purpose, he takes the orchestra to libraries, neighborhoods and various spaces, where he evokes, through musical notes, a bit of his culture. “Sometimes we have a lot of people, sometimes three or four, but we always do our best and people always reach out to them,” says the director.
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In addition, Lina González, together with her colleague Kensho Watanabe, founded Conductor’s Collective, a space that encourages collective learning, through virtual meetings, talks and seminars, where approximately 350 people from around 40 countries have been able to meet despite the limitations, in order to share knowledge about music.
“I have always thought that music should be for everyone, it is like a fundamental right, we should all have access to culture,” says Lina, because just as she fell in love with her profession one day, she opens the doors to others so that If you wish, do it too.
In his story, he says that he wanted to find a profession that would allow him to interact with many people. “I remember an experience where I saw the director doing things with his hands and we just reacted, from that moment I said: ‘it’s this race’, but it was always the music,” he says with great emotion.
She is delighted with the path she followed because she responds to what represents her. “I really like being a friend, I am an only child, so I found a career in management that would allow me to meet many friends and people.”
Cali reminds him of that, friends, memories and interaction with others. She assures that “what I like about my city is friendship, it evokes my most intimate friendships, my friends from school, for me they are the best,” says Lina, adding that when she comes to her hometown she connects with what she has. been for her her ‘ground pole’.
Remember that in Cali he has great colleagues and teachers and his great motivation to visit the city: to reconnect with his family, as he did last month. For her, her family nucleus is fundamental since, “I have a very strong support system, if I did not have a family system that believes that what I am doing is important, it would be impossible.”
Thus, it continues on its way, facing new challenges, such as the absence of the public even in many scenarios, so it is necessary to know how to conquer an audience now, because with the current contingency, despite the fact that “social networks and Technologies helped a lot, now we face the fear of people to sit with others, to enjoy themselves without being afraid of being infected, that is one of the great challenges ”, he says.
Hence, you have to keep the public active and captivated by art. “The only future for music is new music that people enjoy, that has an audience.”
That is why he is currently preparing to develop new projects that allow him to express his feelings through music, filling the public’s ears with beautiful melodies.
Artistic formation
Lina González Granados began her piano studies at the Universidad del Valle, but in 2005 she decided to travel to Bogotá to dedicate herself to conducting.
He graduated with honors from the Juan N. Corpas University Foundation in Bogotá.
He moved to the United States in 2010. There he continued his studies at Boston University and began his professional career standing out in various works.
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