Maestro Diego Barbosa-Vásquez, internationally recognized as a "Musical Genius," is a Colombian-born Conductor & Scholar specializing in Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet. Based in the USA and globally trained, he serves as General Director of the Performing Arts Laboratory (USA) and Music Director of The Americas Chamber Orchestra. Named an Ambassador of Colombia Country Brand since 2017, his mission is to foster sustainable relationships through the arts, enabling global collaboration and communication. Known for his innovative approach to Conducting and Performing Arts sustainability, Diego combines artistic excellence with a passion for empowering communities, guiding artists, and transforming organizations.
Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet
Conductor & Scholar
Colombian-born
Worldwide-trained
Based in the USA
Mission:
Develop sustainable relationships through arts to allow humans around the globe to communicate and collaborate.
A leadership focused work done by:
1. Empowering Communities to be part of the decision making conversation
2. Guiding Artists to become better and better in their crafts
3. Helping Organizations to become more rounded and effective to be the epicenters of these broader full society collaborations.
"The Art of Conducting isn’t just achieve a technical, stylistical, and perfect interpretation; is achieve that the souls of the musicians under your baton walk at the unison and communicate with the audience through the music."
Diego Barbosa-Vásquez
Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez is General Director of the Performing Arts Laboratory (Bloomington IN, USA) and Music Director of The Americas Chamber Orchestra (Bloomington IN, USA). The International Press references him as a “Musical Genius” and “synonymous of energy, knowledge, and confidence of high artistic quality”. Due to his outstanding international career, Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez was named by ProColombia as Ambassador of Colombia Country Brand in 2017 and his major scholarly/practical contributions to the international performing arts field are starting to be recognized globally.
Also, the Colombian maestro has been Assistant, Cover & Fellow Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (2023) as Cover/Assistant Conductor, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as IU Conducting Fellow (2022-2023), Cincinnati Symphony and May Festival (Cincinnati, OH) as Juanjo Mena Apprentice (2021, 2023), Nashville Symphony Orchestra as Giancarlo Guerrero Apprentice (2022), Indiana Opera and Ballet Theater (Bloomington, IN, USA) (2020 - 2022), APU Symphony Orchestra (CA, USA) (2017-2018), and APU Opera Theater (CA, USA) (2017-2018).
Simon Woods
President and CEO
League of American Orchestras
“Diego [...] I actually think you should be our mentors [...] you bring many answers because you have fresher perspectives."
Arthur Fagen
Music Director | Atlanta Opera
Co-Chair | Orchestra Conducting Department - Jacobs School of Music - IU
Regular Guest Conductor at the most prestigious
Opera Houses, Concert Halls, and Music Festivals globally.
"[Diego] is a strong conductor with a very good baton technique, temperament, musicality, and a great knowledge of the scores he conducts. I might add that he knows all of his scores by memory. [...]I have seen his strong commitment to reach high artistic quality every time he conducts and to making music and art accessible to all communities."
Thomas Wilkins
Principal Conductor | The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Principal Guest Conductor | The Virginia Symphony
Artistic Partner for Education & External Engagement | Boston Symphony Orchestra
Professor of Orchestral Conducting | Jacobs School of Music (IU)
Music Director Laureate | Omaha Symphony Orchestra
Golden Baton 2022 | League of American Orchestras
"[Diego] is a fabulous musician, and artistically very thoughtful. In addition, he is also extremely bright and always eager to learn. I am also happy to report that above all he is a wonderful and warm human being, who continues to nurture his curiosity and love of learning. He is quite frankly a sponge!"
Maestro Diego was Music & Artistic Director of the Collaborative Arts Opera Summer Camp (Los Angeles, CA), Music Director of the World Music Symphony Orchestra in California-USA, Music and Artistic Director of Huila Philharmonic, Chief Conductor of E&P® Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Huila Conservatory and Rock Symphony Orchestra. Also, Diego was chief Conductor of E&P Choirs of Cajicá, Colina, and Aparecida; Choral Conductor at “Tocar y Luchar Cafam-Colombia” and Head of the Virrey Solís-E&P Conservatory.
Guest conductor for the 70 anniversary of UNICEF concert, the Colombian Maestro has been winning international recognition since conducting in El Salvador (2014), his 1st. International Opera Conductors Competition in Belgium (Opera Royal de Wallonie) (2017) and the III Nino Rota International Conducting Competition in Italy (2018), in last both cases representing Latinamerica. Diego has been Principal Guest Conductor of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of El Salvador (El Salvador) (2014 - 2020), Guest Conductor of the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony (IN, USA), OCSA Symphony Orchestra (CA, USA), Caldas Symphony Orchestra (Caldas, Colombia), and Choir and Founding Orchestra of Esperanza Azteca Program (Puebla, México).
As a performer, Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez was Principal Viola at Caldas Symphony Orchestra, Juan N. Corpas Symphony Orchestra, Colombia Joven Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Acordanza, Orchestra of the “Art and Opera for All Foundation,” Unimúsica Symphony Orchestra, Bogotá Symphony Orchestra FOSBO, and Scholarship holder and Co-Founder Member of the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia (FJC). Also, with only 17 years, was invited to play with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia as Viola Youth outstanding talent.
El Mundo
National Press
El Salvador
"You will delight your ears with the conducting of Musical Genius."
Sonja Thoms
Executive Director | Wheeling Symphony Orchestra
Former General Manager and VP of Operations | Nashville Symphony
"[Diego] is always advocating for ways orchestral institutions can develop stronger connections inside the organization and outside with their communities. [...] Diego equally prioritizes high artistic quality, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in his work."
El Tiempo
National Press
Colombia
“Has become an role model for the children and young people of our country”
You-Xin Li
Violinist: The Kansas City Symphony, Fellow at New World Symphony
“[Diego] is a natural, sensitive, energetic, and supportive conductor with a lot of imagination and thoughts. [...] He communicates to the orchestra clearly and respectfully with his thoughts and interpretations. [Diego] respects and supports all the musicians, no matter how our identity was [...] treating every musician respectfully and professionally [...]. He brings out the good sides from the musicians and encourages us to become even better artists. With his energy and ability to unify the whole orchestra, I believe any orchestra will be very lucky to have him."
Furthermore Maestro Barbosa-Vasquez is a outstanding scholar recognized for his major contributions to the Orchestra, Opera, and Performance Arts field. He is an affiliated scholar of the prestigious Ostrom Workshop (Economic Nobel Prize winners Scholars) where he leads advanced international practical research in Opera and Performing Arts Sustainability. There, he collaborates with different performing arts leaders and multiple minds and experts in different fields, to clarify the clues and strategies to secure Opera and Arts Sustainability in the mid, and long-term from the local, regional, national, and international perspectives.
Maestro Barbosa-Vasquez is regularly being invited at prestigious conferences including being a Panelist in the prestigious Closing Plenary of the League of American Orchestras 2023 Conference in Pittsburgh (PA, USA) for his major contributions to the field, a special guest lecturer at the 11th European Orchestra Festival of (EOFed) and WFAO General Assembly (2018 - Norway), and a special guest lecturer at the WFAO General Assembly (2019 - Singapore) also representing Latin America. He is also a Professional Member (as an Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet Conductor) of the League of American Orchestras and Opera America.
Micaela Ricaforte
Journalist
ZU Media
Los Angeles, California (USA)
"…Barbosa-Vasquez received a standing ovation that night; his presence and precision on stage never once betrayed the fact that he had only practiced with the orchestra a handful of times..."
Thomas Wieligman
Former Executive Administrator
Instrumental Ensembles at Jacobs School of Music - Indiana University
"[Diego's] methods rely on his ability to elicit emotional levels of playing from the ensemble while he maintains a strategic leadership approach and his deep connection with the music..."
General Editor
Nuestras Bandas de Música
Spain
"…as a synonym of energy, vitality, knowledge and security of a high artistic quality when a musical group is under his baton..."
Wilbur Lin
Music Director | The Missouri Symphony
Music Director | Denver Young Artists Orchestra
Associate Conductor | Colorado Symphony
"Maestro Diego Barbosa-Vásquez’s interests and knowledge extend far beyond his excellent work on the podium. His passion and research into the many forms of performing arts in general will no doubt provide invaluable insight and be a great resource to our field.”
Maestro Diego holds a Doctor in Music Degree (Graduating with Honors) with Major in Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet Conducting and Minors in Music Theory and Arts Administration from the prestigious Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University (IN, USA). Graduated with special commnedation for his “exemplary performance [and] the depth of [his] knowledge and [his] ability to draw from it freely”. There he was a full Scholarship holder of Graduate Tuition Award (2019-2023), the distinguished Jacobs School of Music Artistic Excellence Award (2019-2023), and Research Awardee of the Ostrom Workshop (2021-2023). In addition his Doctoral Dissertation “Models for the Creation and Leadership of Opera Camps” has been received multiple international awards. Not only for his groundbreaking research of framing Arts and Opera as Cultural Commons to secure its Artistic, Financial, Social, and Ecological Sustainability; but also for the outstanding level of applicability to multiple organizations, products, and services at the international performing arts fields.
Diego also holds an M.M. (Master in Music Degree - Graduated with honors) in Opera and Orchestra Conducting at Azusa Pacific University (CA, USA) as a recipient of a full assistantship and John Simons scholarship. There he worked as Assistant Conductor of APU Symphony Orchestra, APU Opera Theater, and Guest Conductor of the Studio Orchestra and APU Musical Theater Company. And holds a Maestro in Music degree (Bachelor) from Juan N. Corpas University Music School (Bogotá D.C., Colombia) graduated with honors with Major in Conducting (Orchestra, Choir, and Opera), and Minors in Viola and Chamber Music.
Furthermore, with more than 14 years of experience in the Arts Administration world, in addition to leading multiple organizations, he holds an “Associate Degree” (Executive Certificate) from the Global Leaders Program of OA (Orchestra of the Americas) in Orchestra, Artistic, and Musical Organizations Administration.
His principal conducting mentors are Arthur Fagen (USA), Thomas Wilkins (USA), and Marzio Conti (Italy) at Indiana University - USA, Christopher Russell (USA) at Azusa Pacific University - USA), Jorge Alejandro Salazar (Colombia) at Corpas University Colombia, and JuanJo Mena (Spain) Internationally.
Last Update Nov/2023
Please do not use any previous version.
J.L. Nave, III
Principal, Nave Strategies / Adjunct Professor, O'Neill School, Indiana University
"[...]A music director who could balance artistic excellence with financial stewardship, ensuring the sustainability and success of his future organizations. [...] His ability to find a balance between competing priorities and guide his team to a well-rounded final budget was a testament to his strategic thinking and adaptability. [...] Diego’s creativity and dedication to understanding all sides of an issue make him uniquely suited for the Music Director role. He approaches challenges with an open mind, seeking the best overall decision for the organization. His ability to integrate artistic vision with practical considerations is a rare and valuable quality"
Julio Saldaña
General Director
Esperanza Azteca
National Orchestra and Choir Program
"Maestro Barbosa-Vásquez gave master classes and conducting classes to teachers and students of the Esperanza Azteca Founder Orchestra... I am pleased to report that he gave high quality and outstanding master classes…”
Mayra Rico
Coordinator
Family Services Recreation
City of Azusa, California (USA)
"I want to thank you Diego for everything he has taught my daughters. Thank you for loving music so much that they couldn't help but fall in love with it too. The confidence they have now, the way they listen to music, the way they talk about it has changed over the summer."
Laura Andrews
Principal 2nd Violins / Former Chair of Music Director Search
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
"Diego's keenness translated to the orchestra, which responded with energy and gusto. This positive conductor-musician relationship significantly accounted for his concert's vitality and success and spilled over into the responsive, appreciative audience. [...] Possibly Diego's best quality is his creativity putting together a feasible plan for future symphony outreach opportunities."