About María 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); Coordinator of Choral Symphonic projects of El Sistema (1980–2012); Artistic Director (2003–2017) of the “Música para Crecer”. She has also been President (in charge), Vice President and Advisor for Latin America of the International Federation for Choral Music (1996–2014 and since 2019) and member of the International Music Council founded by UNESCO (2002–2005).

She won the awards: Kulturpreis of the InterNationes Foundation (1998), Robert Edler Preis für Chormusik (2000), Helmuth Rilling Award of the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart, Germany (2009), the Life Achievement Award of the International Federation for Choral Music (FIMC 2019) and the Honorary Doctorate of the Metropolitan University, Caracas, Venezuela (2020).

She is frequently invited as guest conductor, teacher and jury member in USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.