About this Artist

Leonardo Hurtado was born in San Juan de los Morros, Guárico, Venezuela in 1975. He began his musical studies at the age of eight in the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela of the State of Guárico, San Juan Nucleo Los Morros, under the tutelage of Franklin Gutiérrez, Jhonny Cubides, Oscar García, and Hematt Jahoor. At 11, he assumed the role of Director of the Children’s Symphony Orchestra of his nucleo in San Juan de los Morros, thus becoming the principal conductor of the youngest orchestras in the region, for which he was awarded the City Button by the Guárico State Government. He has been a member of symphony orchestras and chamber music groups, including Simón Bolívar Chamber Orchestra, Mozart Quartet of Guárico, Juan Germán Roscio Quartet, Romulo Gallegos Quartet, Symphony Orchestra of the Aragua State, and State Symphony Orchestra Guárico. He has participated in various training courses and seminars with national and international teachers such as Maestro José A. Abreu, Maurice Hasson, Jesús Hernández, Octavio Rico, Roberto Baldes, José Iglesias, Mario Benzecry, Ronny Rogoff, José F. del Castillo, Sergio Celis, Juan C. Pérez, Rubé D. Cova, Pablo Vasquez, Rodolfo Sanglimbeni , Sergio Bernal, Eduardo Marturet, Sun Kwak, Sergei Pileskof, and Miguel A. Monroy. He studied advanced music at the Latin American Violin Academy, under the tutelage of José Francisco Del Castillo and Sergio Celis, and at the Simón Bolívar Superior Conservatory of Music in Caracas, in addition to performing as instructor of violin at the aforementioned Conservatory. As part of this training dynamic, he studied Advanced Studies at the School of Physics (IV semester) and Art Schools (VI semester) of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV); graduated from the Rómulo Gallegos University of Guárico State, in the Promotion of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Public Accounting, cum laude; Libertador Experimental University, Rural Pedagogical Institute El Mácaro of the School of Integral Education, graduating summa cum laude as Professor in Integral Education; Advanced Postgraduate studies with Specialization in University Teaching, PhD in Educational Sciences at the Rómulo Gallegos University of the Guárico State (UNERG), Postdoctoral Course in Training of Tutors, and Postdoctoral Course in Improvement of Philosophical Systems and Currents. During a large part of his mission within the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela, he served as titular Director of the Nucleo of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of San Juan de los Morros. This task was accompanied by teaching as the Chair of Culture at the School of Dentistry at the Rómulo Gallegos University of the Guárico State (UNERG) and in the Chairs of Philosophy of Education / Music and Performing Arts at the Experimental Libertador University (IPR The Macaro). National Academic Manager of the Simón Bolívar Program of the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela until 2019. He is currently in charge of the Research Chair in the Dentistry Area of the Rómulo Gallegos University of the Guárico State (UNERG), and works as National Manager of the Chair of Thought of Maestro José Antonio Abreu of El Sistema.