Meet the Clinician

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Maria Guinand

María Guinand, choral and orchestral conductor, university professor, pedagogue and leader of choral projects, is currently Artistic Director of the Schola Cantorum Foundation of Venezuela and the Choir of the Polar Foundation. In her long career, she has been the Associate Professor of the Simón Bolívar University (1976-2018) (Venezuela) in the General Studies and the Master in Music; Coordinator of  Choral Symphonic projects of El Sistema (1980-2012) and Director of the Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music (1993-1996); Artistic Director (2003-2017) of the ‘Música para Crecer’ program sponsored by the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). She has also served as President (e), Vice President and Advisor for Latin America of the International Federation for Choral Music (1996-2008) (2020-2023), is a member of the World Choral Council of Interkultur and was a member of the International Music Council (UNESCO) (2002-2005). She received her musical education and conducting training under the tutelage of Alberto Grau and Helmuth Rilling, and Gregorian Chant and Sacred Music from Luigi Agustoni and Johannes  B. Goeschel.

She is frequently invited as Director and Teacher to conduct choral programs and master classes  in  USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia and also to be part of international juries. She collaborates with various choral institutions in the world such as FIMC (International Federation for Choral Music); ACDA (American Choral Directors Association); Chorus America; NCCO (National Collegiate Choral Organization) (USA); Europa Cantat; America Cantat; Japan Choral Federation; Chinese Choral Federation; FCEC (Federació Catalana D’Éntitats Corals);  A Couer Joie, among others.

She has been invited to lead prestigious choral groups such as the Belgian Radio Choir, World Youth Choir, Gaechinger Kantorei, Youth Choir of the European MusiFest Festivalensemble, Junges Vokalensembles Hannover, Pro-choir Canada, Houston Chamber Choir, Japan National Youth Choir , National Choir of Spain, Choir of the RTVE (Spain), the Symphonic Choir of the OSESP (Brazil), among many others. She is editor of Latin American Choral Music for the publishers Earthsongs (USA) and Carus-Verlag (Germany).

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