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sai-national.org • Winter 2022 9 Cducts O riginally from the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, Paula O. Nava Madrigal moved to the U.S. in 2014 aer studying cello and conducting at the Universidad Autonóma de Guadalajara. In Seattle, she has co-founded a youth orchestra program dedicated to fostering Latinx musicians, established Seattle's first Latino Chamber Music Festival, and is Artistic Director of Orquesta Northwest, co-founded in 2019. is organization focuses on classical music of Latin America. In Seattle, she has received a Youth Arts grant from the Office of Arts & Culture to launch the World Orchestra program for underserved immigrant and refugee youth. In 2015, Paula co-founded the Ballard Civic Orchestra whose programs celebrate Latino cultural heritage, and has received over $100,000 in grants enabling her to pursue her career goal as a conductor. Also, she has received awards from Seattle's Univision and the Latino Community Fund. As Artistic Director of Orquesta Northwest, Paula presents programs such as "Cascade Conducting" with Artistic Director Sarah Ioannides of Symphony Tacoma and "Cascade Composing" directed by David Ludwig, Dean of Music at e Julliard School. In 2019 she won the Seattle City Artist Award. In 2021 she was invited to be a guest speaker to the Sphinx Organization's annual conference. While pursuing her career goal as a conductor, she was a disciple of the important Mexican conductor Guillermo Salvador. Ms. Madrigal has participated in prestigious music and conducting programs in: Mexico City, Zacatecas with Maestro Jorg Birhance, the Oregon Conducting Institute with Neil Varon, the New York Conducting Institute with Kirk Trevor, the University of Washington with Speight Jenkins, emeritus director of Seattle Opera, the New England Conservatory with Charles Pletz and Frink L. Battisti, the Medomak International Conductors Retreat with Kenneth Kiesler, the Universidad Autonóma de Guadalajara, and the University of Texas, El Paso. When she conducts, whether full orchestra or smaller ensembles, Paula evokes emotion and history for the audience in real time. "ere's an energy that comes from the orchestra that I'm communicating to the public," she explains. "It's like a time machine where I am bringing the past into the present and creating the future." Passionate about classical music and Latinx culture, as a cellist, teaching artist, and conductor, she has created and participated in projects which provide classical music experiences that promote inclusion and intercultural understanding, both in Mexico and in the U.S. Paula currently serves on the Seattle Music Commission and is the host of her own radio show. In 2022, Ms. Madrigal will be conducting the opera Frida by Robert Rodriguez for Opera Cultura in San Jose, California. Being civic minded, Paula has helped to organize vaccination clinics, and people can register to vote at her concerts and events. Sallie Baldwin, a past-President of Seattle Alumnae Chapter of SAI, introduced our chapter to Paula when she was invited to perform at a chapter meeting. We are honored to have Paula as a patroness member of our chapter. — Submitted by Nancy Matesky, Editor, Seattle Alumnae Chapter Spotlight on Conductor Paula Madrigal

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