Giancarlo Castro
Conductor, Reed Orchestra
An award-winning composer, conductor, and trumpet player, Giancarlo Castro is recognized as one of the most outstanding artists to have emerged from Venezuela’s acclaimed El Sistema music education program. As a conductor, he has led many orchestras and chamber music groups, including the Simón Bolívar Orchestra in Venezuela, the Paris Symphonic Orchestra, and Orchestra Valentiana, among others. Giancarlo’s compositions are performed around the world at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Radio France Theater in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, the Berlin Konzerthaus, and the Vienna Concertgebouw. His last work Tuba Sonatina commissioned by Carol Jantsch was premiered at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference 2019 in Iowa, and he recently completed Euphantasy, commissioned by the renowned French euphonist Bastien Baumet and recorded by the Air Force Band of Lisbon in Portugal for the new album Radiance. His works have appeared on the EMI Classics, Genuin, and Euroarts labels. In 2018, Giancarlo moved to Portland to join the teaching artist staff of the Bravo Youth Orchestra and conduct the Bravo Community Orchestra. In September 2019, he was also named conductor of Sinfonietta Orchestra of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony.