Michelle Di Russo conductor

A graceful yet powerful force on the podium, Argentinian conductor Michelle Di Russo is known for her compelling interpretations, passionate musicality, and championing of contemporary music. Currently serving as Associate Conductor on her third season with North Carolina Symphony, she is a 2023 Dudamel Fellow with the LA Philharmonic and mentee of the Taki Alsop Fellowship. Di Russo is a former conducting fellow with Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program, The Dallas Opera Hart Institute, as well as a recipient of the Richard S. Weinert award from Concert Artists Guild.

Di Russo had guest conducting debuts with Vermont Symphony and Portland Symphony and worked as cover conductor for St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony. She was a 2022 Joel Revzen fellow at the Napa Valley Festival and has served as Interim Director of Orchestras at Cornell University and Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has also been the recipient of the American Austrian Foundation/Faber Young Conductors Fellowship (selected by members from the Vienna Philharmonic), a Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Conducting Scholarship at the Cabrillo Music Festival of Contemporary Music, and was a conducting fellow at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Italy.

During the pandemic, Di Russo co-created “Girls Who Conduct,” an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between women and men in the conducting field and encouraging younger generations of women and non-binary conductors to overcome any obstacles presented due to their gender.

Trained as a professional dancer since the age of three, she continued her studies in voice and piano, leading to participations in Argentinian and Disney TV shows. Prior to switching her focus to the podium, she was a cast member of a professional musical theatre company by Cibrian-Mahler while an undergraduate, gaining insight into the ways of a working theatre. This passion for theatre has endured in her work conducting opera and musical theatre.

A native of Argentina with Italian roots, Di Russo holds a Doctoral Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Arizona State University and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Kentucky. She completed her degree in Orchestral Conducting and Music Production of Audiovisual Media from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, where she was awarded an Ad-Hoc Diploma for the highest grade in Orchestral Conducting.

ArtistiCO Dance Company

ArtistiCO Dance Company was created by Jose Rosales and his business partner and husband, Alfonso Meraza Prudente. Jose was raised in Denver and was a member of the Fiesta Colorado Dance Company from age 9, while Alfonso was raised in Mexico and was a Principal Soloist for Palacio de Bellas Artes. Both are accomplished dancers and met in Mexico City while performing with Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez. The idea for ArtistiCO was conceived in 2019, when they moved to Denver, and it came to life with their doors opening in May 2020.

ArtistiCO strives to build community by providing a well-rounded dance academy serving children and youth, offering educational outreach, and sharing the art of dance through world-class performances. They are proud of the two studios they have opened in the Denver area, bringing the love of Folklorico and Flamenco dancing to an inclusive environment. Embracing various dance techniques, including Mexican folk dance, classical, and contemporary ballet, they offer a safe and inclusive space for artists from all backgrounds to showcase their talent, passion, and artistic experience to audiences worldwide. By promoting Latinx culture and history through dance, ArtistiCO serves as a bridge between nations, connecting people locally, nationally, and internationally.

They are proud of the two studios they have opened in the Denver area, bringing the love of Folklorico and Flamenco dancing to an inclusive environment. They embrace various dance techniques, including Mexican folk dance, classical, and contemporary ballet. ArtistiCO offers a safe and inclusive space for artists from all backgrounds to showcase their talent, passion, and artistic experience to audiences from all over the world.

By promoting Latinx culture and history through dance, ArtistiCO serves as a bridge between nations, connecting people locally, nationally, and internationally.

For more information, visit artisticodance.org.

Mariachi Sol de mi Tierra