Profile: Natalia Luis-Bassa

Biography

Natalia Luis-Bassa is currently Principal Conductor of the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra and Musical Director of the Haffner Orchestra in Lancaster and the Hallam Sinfonia in Sheffield. Since winning the second prize at the Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition in New York in 2002, she has worked both in the UK and abroad with orchestras including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela, Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Paragon Ensemble, Bombay Chamber Orchestra and Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra.

The Venezuelan conductor began her musical studies at the age of 15, where she studied Oboe at the world famous Orquesta Juvenil de Venezuela. She read music at the Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales, where she was appointed music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Falcón. She completed her studies at the Royal College of Music, London and held the RCM Junior Fellowship in Opera Conducting for two years.

Natalia is currently studying her Master’s Degree at The University of Huddersfield and has recently been awarded the Elgar Society Prize for the performance of Elgar’s Second Symphony with the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra.