Conductor
In 2022, Fernanda was selected as a conducting associate and in 2021 as conducting fellow for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music led by Mtro. Cristian Macelaru. In 2019, she was a finalist for the Assistant Conductor position at the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and in 2018 Fernanda was awarded First Prize for the conducting competition held by the Opera de Bauge, France.
Fernanda Lastra has served as assistant conductor in public opera performances such as the University of Iowa’s 2019 production of Little Women by Mark Adamo. In April 2019 she joined the production of Cavalleria Rusticana in Neuchatel, Switzerland as Assistant conductor of Musiques des Lumieres Orquestre and in November conducted for Revival Theatre Company the production of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma.
During the 2016-2017 season she served as Principal Conductor for CPYO (Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra) and from 2008-2012 she served as Professor of Orchestral Activities at El Sistema, Argentina. From 2005 to 2016 she worked as Assistant Professor at La Plata University, Argentina.
Moved by a strong conviction about the vitality that classical music can foster in our communities, Fernanda created La Trama Ensamble in 2013. She led this passion project for four years as its artistic and musical director.
Fernanda participated in masterclasses with esteemed maestri such as: Larry Rachleff, Marin Alsop, Donald Schleicher, Markand Thakar, Elizabeth Askren, Jac van Steen, Carlo Montanaro, Konstantinos Diminakis, Daizuke Soga, Luis Gorelik, Abel Rocha, Osvaldo Ferreira and Ariel Alonso.
Trained as a pianist, Fernanda holds Bachelor’s degrees from La Plata University in Orchestral and Choral Conducting, a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from Penn State University, and she is completing Doctoral studies in Orchestral Conducting at The University of Iowa, under the mentorship of Dr. Mélisse Brunet, Dr. William LaRue Jones and Prof. David Becker.
