Dominican conductor Gabriela Gómez Estévez serves as an Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestras at Cornell University. Gómez Estévez has established herself as a fervent champion of new music and diversity of repertoire. In 2021, Gabriela founded Operability, an annual opera festival that showcases new and diverse works for voice and chamber ensemble. Through this project, she has cultivated artistic and educational partnerships by commissioning and premiering works written by emerging composers. Recent collaborations include partnerships with the Newphonia Ensemble and the Constantinides New Music Ensemble.

In 2023, Gabriela attended the prestigious Aspen Music Festival and School as a conducting fellow. There, she was awarded the James Conlon Conductor Prize, which included an invitation to return to the festival in 2024. In January 2024, Gabriela made her conducting debut with Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dr. Gómez Estévez’s scholarly work focuses on the symphonic works of Dominican composer Margarita Luna García. Her research provides historical and cultural contexts for Luna García’s compositions and enhances public access to her works. Her scholarship has been supported by the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.

Gabriela holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in flute performance from the same institution, and a bachelor’s degree in flute performance from Berklee College of Music. Her conducting mentors include Robert Spano, Kenneth Kiesler, Scott Terrell, and Damon Talley.