Marisela Gonzalez

Marisela Gonzales
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According to Bibiana Ordoñez, harp teacher of the National Music Conservatory, "Having an opportunity to study with Marisela Gonzales was a great experience for young Colombian harpists.
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"Marisela is an excellent teacher who has dedicated her career to learning more about the harp and furthering the Latin American harp repertoire; her visit to Colombia made an important contribution to the group of harpists who have been participating in the Salvi Harp Masterclass Series. To be able to study with Marisela and to be able to learn from her experience was a unique opportunity for our musicians".

Marisela Gonzales began her musical studies at the Escuela Superior de Música José Angel Lamas. She earned a Master's degree in Harp (1980) and Master in Wind Instruments (1982) from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

As a soloist she has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the Caracas Sinfonietta, the Boston Civic Orchestra, the Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra, Istanbul Chamber Orchestra, the Bachiana Brazilian Compay and the Municipal Orchestra of Caracas.

Executive Director and Founding Member of the Venezuelan Association of harpists ARPAS A.C., Marisela Gonzales has also been member of the Board of the World Harp Congress (1995 - 2001) and soloist harpist of the Symphonic Orchestra of Venezuela, a position she held until 2001. Currently, she is harp teacher at the Simón Bolívar University at Caracas.

Marisela is well known for her valuable contributions in the creation, research and making known to the public the Latin-American repertoire for pedal harp.As a soloist, she has performed with many orchestras.She was executive director and founding member of the Venezuelan Harpist Association (ARPAS AC), Member of the Board of Directors of the World Harp Congress (1995-2001), and Harp Soloist of the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra until 2001.Currently, she holds a Professorship at the Simón Bolívar University.

Well-known Venezuelan harpist, Marisela Gonzalez completed a two-day harp master class in Bogota, March 2 and 5, for students of the Conservatory of the National University of Colombia and the Juan N. Corpas University.

Venezuelan harpists Evelia Taborda and Marisela Gonzalez

Marisela González was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where she attended the Escuela Superior de Música José Angel Lamas as a Harp student and in 1978 successfully obtained diplomas both for harp teaching and performance.During that same year she was granted a scholarship to further proceed with her studies in the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston) where in 1980, under the guidance of Bernard Zighera, she obtained her Master of Music degree in Harp and in 1982, a Master of Music degree in Wind Ensemble Conducting under F. L. Battisti from the same school.

The 1980's were fruitful years for the beginning of her career, in the summer of 1981 she was granted the Omar del Carlo Scholarship to be part of the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra in Tanglewood.In 1982 she was one of the prize winners at the Eight International Harp Contest in Israel, and the following year she won the first prize in harp of the First Competition for Young Soloists of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela.

Marisela González frequently performs in duo with Luis Julio Toro, together with whom she was invited to tour the Middle East in 1985 in the VI Cruise for Young Virtuouso Musicians, sponsored by the Fundación Beracasa.

Mrs. González herself and also the duo, have commisioned and premiered several new works.She was appointed principal harpist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela in 1987 post that she hold until 2001.

In 1990 and 1996 she performed as soloist in both the IV and VI World Harp Congresses held in Paris-Sevres, France and Seattle, U.S.A. In 1995 she took part in the Second Latinamerican Harp Encounter in Mexico.Since 1994 she holds a music profersorship at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, in 1997 she founded with other cloleages a harp class at the Colegio Emil Friedman in Caracas.

She has played as soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, Sinfonietta Caracas, Boston Civic Orchestra, Radio Prague Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra, Istambul Chamber Orchestra and the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas.Since 1996 until 1999 she was Executive Director of ARPAS A.C. which by then organized the Third Latinamerican Harp Encounter held in Caracas in 1998.In 1999 she was invited to perform the Heitor Villa-Lobos Harp Concerto during the VII Harp World Congress held in Prague.

Marisela González has recorded for the Radio National de France, Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Sinfonietta Caracas and the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas.She has done an outstanding job making Contemporary Latinamerican Music known, comissioning and premiering pieces of Adina Izarra, Juan F. Sanz, Alfonso Tenreiro, Eduardo Kusnir, J. Schreiber, Paul Dessene and M. Machado, Eduardo Marturet, among others.

She is often invited to play as a soloist by different Orchestras and Institutions and was a member of the Board of the Harp World Congress from 1116 -2002.

Marisela González was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where she attended the Escuela Superior de Música José Angel Lamas as a Harp student and in 1978 successfully obtained diplomas both for harp teaching and performance.During that same year she was granted a scholarship to further proceed with her studies in the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston) where in 1980, under the guidance of Bernard Zighera, she obtained her Master of Music degree in Harp and in 1982, a Master of Music degree in Wind Ensemble Conducting under F. L. Battisti from the same school.

The 1980's were fruitful years for the beginning of her career, in the summer of 1981 she was granted the Omar del Carlo Scholarship to be part of the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra in Tanglewood.In 1982 she was one of the prize winners at the Eight International Harp Contest in Israel, and the following year she won the first prize in harp of the First Competition for Young Soloists of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela.

Marisela González frequently performs in duo with Luis Julio Toro, together with whom she was invited to tour the Middle East in 1985 in the VI Cruise for Young Virtuouso Musicians, sponsored by the Fundación Beracasa.

Mrs. González herself and also the duo, have commisioned and premiered several new works.She was appointed principal harpist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela in 1987 post that she hold until 2001.

In 1990 and 1996 she performed as soloist in both the IV and VI World Harp Congresses held in Paris-Sevres, France and Seattle, U.S.A. In 1995 she took part in the Second Latinamerican Harp Encounter in Mexico.Since 1994 she holds a music profersorship at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, in 1997 she founded with other cloleages a harp class at the Colegio Emil Friedman in Caracas.

She has played as soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, Sinfonietta Caracas, Boston Civic Orchestra, Radio Prague Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv Chamber Orchestra, Istambul Chamber Orchestra and the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas.Since 1996 until 1999 she was Executive Director of ARPAS A.C. which by then organized the Third Latinamerican Harp Encounter held in Caracas in 1998.In 1999 she was invited to perform the Heitor Villa-Lobos Harp Concerto during the VII Harp World Congress held in Prague.

Marisela González has recorded for the Radio National de France, Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Sinfonietta Caracas and the Orquesta Municipal de Caracas.She has done an outstanding job making Contemporary Latinamerican Music known, comissioning and premiering pieces of Adina Izarra, Juan F. Sanz, Alfonso Tenreiro, Eduardo Kusnir, J. Schreiber, Paul Dessene and M. Machado, Eduardo Marturet, among others.

She is often invited to play as a soloist by different Orchestras and Institutions and was a member of the Board of the Harp World Congress from 1116 -2002.

Marisela Gonzalez

Marisela González mgonzale@usb.ve