Music as a Life-Changing Force: An Interview with Glass Marcano

You start to study music since you were a child thanks to Antonio Abreu’s “El Sistema”: how do you remember that experience?

I remember that period with great gratitude. El Sistema gave me not only a musical education, but also a sense of community and discipline from a very young age. It was there that I understood how music can transform lives and open paths.

How did you decide to become a conductor? Did you have any models?

Conducting came to me in a very natural way. Since I was young, I felt curious about understanding the whole score, not just my part as a violinist. My first models were the Venezuelan conductors who came from El Sistema, and later I discovered international figures who inspired me deeply.

You have been finalist at the La Maestra Competition in Paris: how does a female musician place herself into the music world today, compared to the past?

Today there are more spaces and recognition, but there are still challenges. Women have gained visibility and opportunities, and competitions like La Maestra are essential to open doors. Compared to the past, I feel we now have more possibilities to be heard and to bring our own vision.

What is your favorite repertoire?

I feel especially connected to the Romantic period, because I sense that my abilities are expressed more naturally in this repertoire. It allows me to unfold my full musical language and connect with the emotional intensity that defines it.

For your debut with Orchestra Haydn, the program compares the music of Mozart to Ginestra: do the two composers have anything in common?

They belong to very different languages, but both share freshness and clarity in their writing. Mozart with his classical genius, and Ginestra with his own modern voice—yet in both I find a spirit of transparency and musical vitality.