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Paula Madrigal
Paula Madrigal is a Mexican-American conductor who has studied music and education in Mexico, Spain, and the U.S. While pursuing her career goals as a conductor, she was a disciple of some of the most important Mexican conductors- Guillermo Salvador and Enrique Arturo Dimecke. Ms. Madrigal holds a bachelor's degree in cello performance from the University of Guadalajara and a Masters Degree from the Universidade Autonoma of Guadalajara.
She is passionate about classical music and Latino culture. As a cellist, teaching artist, and conductor, she has created and participated in numerous projects, providing classical music experiences that promote inclusion and intercultural understanding in Mexico and in the U.S.
She founded the Seattle World Youth Orchestra program for talented youth in the Seattle area in 2014. Since 2019, she has served as Artistic Director of Orquesta Northwest, which she also co-founded; their programs include the Latino Chamber Music Festival, Ballard Civic Orchestra, North Seattle Mariachi, World Youth Orchestra, Cascade Conducting, and Cascade Composing.
She has received multiple grants and awards from the Office of Arts & Culture in Seattle, Univision, the Latino Community Fund, the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the conductors Opera America award for the Opera Frida.
Ms. Madrigal served for multiple years in the Seattle Music Commission. In 2021, she joined Seattle Opera in its Creation Lab, where she premiered nine new works. At Seattle Opera, she premiered the first chamber opera composed by a black composer.
Her music is charged with the lively Latino culture. The art that she works with is a complete experience for the audience. With this, she aims to create a profound social impact. She has a deep interest in making music that affects consciousness and explores a mixture of traditions with the modernity of technology and new ideas. Her art expresses the relationship between her Mexican heritage and her American everyday life. As an artist expressing ideas, social justice and the value of excellence is her goal. Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporánean, including choral works and Latin music. She currently is conducting the chamber opera Blood Dawn of the Inti Sun.