ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Praised by The Washington Post for his “incisive clarity” and by The New York Times for delivering “a stirring performance,” Hernandez-Valdez is a passionate advocate for both traditional and contemporary music. He has commissioned and premiered works by a diverse roster of composers, including Joan Tower, Arturo Márquez, Joseph Turrin, Gilda Lyons, Richard Einhorn, Seymour Bernstein, Viet Cuong, Juan Pablo Contreras, Trevor Weston, and Elena Ruehr, among others.

Under his leadership, Musica Viva NY has expanded its artistic reach, earning acclaim for compelling performances and, most recently, a landmark Naxos release featuring legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. With NOW, he has redefined the chamber orchestra experience, presenting bold programs in venues such as the Kennedy Center.

Hernandez-Valdez has also appeared as a pianist at the Britten100 Festival and composed The Imaginary City, inspired by the life of Ramzi Aburedwan. He was honored by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Creadores Mexicanos en el Extranjero and received the Shenandoah Conservatory Alumni of Excellence Award.

Upcoming engagements include performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, and the world premiere of Grammy-nominated composer Juan Pablo Contreras’s Symphony No. 1. He will also lead Musica Viva NY on a tour of Spain in collaboration with Teatro Real.