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BIOGRAPHY

Karlo Flores is a young outstanding conductor of the musical scene of Puerto Rico. Under the guidance of the distinguished Maestro Maximiano Valdés, Principal Conductor of the PRSO, and the renowned conductor and violinist Eddy Marcano, from the Venezuelan program El Sistema, Flores had his beginnings in the orchestral conducting.  Some of his performance highlights include collaborative concerts with the prestigious company Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico staging Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet and guest conducting for the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, since 2013 he serves as guest conductor for the diverse series of concerts of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, including seasons concerts. He has distinguished himself for create concert programs for young audiences and innovative family concerts, developing fresh and engaging concepts.

Karlo completed his Master degree in conducting at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Gustav Meier, Markand Thakar and Marin Alsop.  He served as Graduate Assistant of the Conducting Department at the Peabody Conservatory and Assistant Conductor of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra (PSO). Flores' collaborations at Peabody include assistant/cover conductor to Leon Fleisher, Marin Alsop, Hajime Teri Murai, Hannu Lintu and Juanjo Mena. Also, assisted Rob Kapilow for the series of concerts What Makes Music Great? presented by the Washington Performing Arts at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. 

Prior to conducting, Flores obtained his Bachelor in Music in violin performance from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, where he studied with the renowned violinists José Figueroa and Dara Burkholder. Karlo has worked as a music professor at the Department of Education of Puerto Rico, as well as being on the violin faculty of the Preparatory School of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.  For more than fifteen years he was the concertmaster of the Guillermo Figueroa Sanabia Symphony Orchestra, where he made frequently appearances as a soloist as well as guest conductor. Flores served as Conductor of the Puerto Rico Youth Symphony Orchestra of Música 100x35, as well as the Academic Coordinator of this program, affiliated to the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music and inspired by the Venezuelan program “El Sistema”. His leadership helped to cement this social change program promoting the importance of music in the development of the youth.

Currently, Karlo serves as Professor of Conducting in the Bachelor's Program at the Conservatory of Music of P. R.; also as violin teacher and conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Specialized Music School Ernesto Ramos Antonini in San Juan. Karlo is a member of the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra Arturo Somohano.
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