Bach St. Matthew Passion

María Guinand, choral and orchestral conductor, college professor, teacher and leader of national and international choral projects and has specialized in Latin American Choral Music of the 20 th and 21 st centuries. With the female choir Cantoría Alberto Grau she won two first prizes and two third prizes in the Guido D’Arezzo Competition in 1989. She was awarded the ‘Kulturpreis’ (1998) by the Inter Nationes Foundation (1998), the ‘Robert Edler Preis für Chormusik’ (2000), the Helmuth Rilling Prize (2009), the Life Achievement Award by the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) (2019), Life Achievement Choral Award (World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association, Honk Kong, China) (2020) and the Honorary Doctorate of the Metropolitan University, Caracas, Venezuela (2023).

She is frequently invited as guest conductor, adjudicator, jury member, lecturer and professor of choral music in USA, Canadá, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Oceanía, and has premiered many new works. She is currently the Artistic Director of the Fundación Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, directs the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela (1992- ) and Coral Fundación Empresas Polar (1992-).

In 2023-24-25 she conducted the renowned chamber ensembles Seraphic Fire (USA) and Coro de Cámara and Children and Youth Choirs at Palau de la Música (Barcelona, España). She was also a presenter and conductor at the ACDA National Conference in Cincinnati and in the WSCM of the IFCM in Istanbul, she conducted the All-State Choir at the MMEA Conference in Missouri, (USA), concerts with the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela in the Edinburgh International Music Festival and various halls in Caracas; and toured Venezuela with the program ‘Cantemos with the Schola’ to seven different regions, aimed to foster choral music in the country. She also lead masterclasses at the Chor.com Conference in Germany and was a member of the Jury in the International Choral Competitions of Arezzo, Tolosa, Hong Kong, and European Choral Games. In 2026 she will conduct the Cantata Criolla by Antonio Estévez in the opening of the Taipei International Choral Festival.

Amongst her responsibilities, she has been Professor of Music and Choral Conducting at the University Simón Bolívar (Caracas, Venezuela 1976-2019), Associate Conductor of Choral Symphonic Performances of El Sistema (Caracas, Venezuela 1976-2012), Artistic Director of the program ‘Música para Crecer’ of the Andean Bank of Development (Latin America 2003-2017), Vice-President and Advisor of the International Federation for Choral Music (1996-2014/ 2017-2023/2023-2026), Member of the International Music Council (UNESCO 2002-2004) and Member of the World Choir Council of Interkultur. (2017-); Founder and artistic Director of the Cantoría Alberto Grau (1976-2012) and Orfeón Universitario Simón Bolívar (1976-2008).

Under the baton of Artistic Director Chris Shepard and Assistant Director & Accompanist Mark Mummert, The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester numbers approximately 100 professional and amateur singers who perform several times each year, primarily as part of Music Worcester’s season, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. Their repertoire also includes other classical choral pieces, opera, musical theater, American folk songs, and more.

The Worcester Chorus is a key component of THE COMPLETE BACH, Music Worcester’s 11-year project to present all of J.S. Bach’s known works, which concludes in March 2035. A subset of the group, the Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble (dir. Mark Mummert) is also featured in the Music Worcester season.

Learn more and see their full schedule.