José Luis Domínguez is a prominent talent on international orchestral and operatic stages. His conducting is described as “unrivaled, magnificent and with exemplary gesturing” (El Mercurio), and he frequents prominent stages across the globe.
He currently serves as Music Director of the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, and was newly appointed Associate Professor of Orchestral Studies/ Director of Orchestras at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, where he is Music Director of the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and Professor of Conducting. He is a regular guest conductor with the Opéra Saint-Étienne and is artistic director of the Musical Encounters International Music Festival in La Serena, Chile.
Domínguez was Artistic Director of the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestras from 2017-2023, where he served as a frequent guest conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and is currently an Advisor to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Youth Orchestras for the 2023-2024 season.
He was Resident Director of the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra, Chile (Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, Chile), at the Municipal de Santiago-Ópera Nacional de Chile from 2003-2016 and was Artistic Director/Principal Conductor, of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil (National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Chile) from 2004-2016.
Recent commissions as a composer include the new ballet titled, “La Casa de Los Espíritus (The House of Spirits)” based on the bestselling novel by Isabel Allende. Its premiere in September 2019 at the Municipal de Santiago-Ópera Nacional de Chile with the Ballet de Santiago and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago (which Domínguez also conducted), was hailed as an “absolute triumph.” In addition, Jason DePue, violinist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, commissioned Domínguez to write a piece for violin and piano titled “Aitona” that was included in DePue’s 2021 debut solo album. His Concerto for Oboe premiered in early 2020 with oboist, Jorge Pinzón, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá (Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra), Colombia to critical acclaim.
The Library of Congress selected Domínguez’s Gratias Tibi for physically distanced orchestra and choir, a New Jersey Symphony commission, for inclusion in its collection of works created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upcoming commissions include a mass, a violin concerto, a viola concerto and a cello concerto.
Future conducting engagements include the Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra), the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile (Symphony Orchestra of Chile), the Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad de La Serena (University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra), the Orquesta de Cámera de Chile (Chamber Orchesta of Chile) and the world-renowned Semanas Musicales de Frutillar (Frutillar Musical Weeks) held in Frutillar, Chile at Teatro del Lago.
Recent appearances have included the Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia (National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia), Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago (Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago), Opéra Saint-Étienne, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Peru (Lima University Symphony Orchestra in Peru), Staatsoper Orchester de Braunschweig in Germany, Orquesta Sinfonica UNCuyo (UNCuyo Symphony Orchestra) in Mendoza, Argentina and the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias (Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias) in Spain.
Domínguez recently released critically acclaimed Naxos recordings of his own ballet, The Legend of Joaquín Murieta and the music of Enrique Soro with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile. He has collaborated most notably with Renée Fleming, Terell Stafford, Andrés Diaz, Ray Chen, Sergio Tiempo, Ai Nihira, Verónica Villarroel, Luciana D’Intino, Woo-Yun Kim and Daniel Binelli.
