about
MARCOS RANGEL
Brazilian Conductor
Houston, Texas
Marcos is a Brazilian conductor and educator currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Houston. Former assistant conductor and coordinator at NEOJIBA (Brazil’s leading El Sistema–inspired program), with extensive experience in youth, academic, and professional orchestras in the Americas and Europe. Finalist and 5th-place winner at the 2024 Los Angeles International Conductors Competition. Experienced in orchestral preparation, international touring, education programs, and contemporary and standard symphonic repertoire.
EDUCATION
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Orchestral Conducting
University of Houston — Houston, TX 2024–2027
Principal teacher: Franz Anton Krager
Master of Music, Orchestral Conducting
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Brazil 2012 - 2014
Bachelor of Music, Orchestral Conducting
Brazilian Conservatory of Music
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2007–2010
LANGUAGES
Portuguese — Native
English — Fluent
Spanish — Fluent
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CONDUCTOR & MANAGEMENT ROLES
Conductor & Musical Director
ECHOrchestra
Assistant Conductor & General Manager
Texas Music Festival — 2026
Assistant Conductor
Latin American Symphony Orchestra — Loja, Ecuador February 3–8, 2026
Worked with conductor JongWhi Vakh (South Korea).
General Manager
University of Houston Orchestras
Houston, TX 2024–2027
GUEST CONDUCTING & ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Conductor
Moores School Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Orchestra University of Houston — 2024–2027
Assistant Conductor
ECHOrchestra
Houston — 2026–2027
Guest Conductor & Instructor
The Nucleus Orchestra El Sistema Program — Houston, TX 2025
Piano Instructor
Allegro Pearland Academy
Pearland, TX - 2025 - 2026
Piano Instructor
Overture School of Music
Houston, TX 2026
Guest Conductor
Música da Rede Program (Faculdade de Música do Espírito Santo) Vitória – ES - Brazil - January 2026
Guest Conductor & Conducting Instructor
Recanto Maestro Project — Santa Maria, RS, Brazil 2025
Guest Conductor & Conducting Instructor
4th Meeting of Social Orchestras of Southeastern Brazil Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ – Brazil — June 2025
Assistant Conductor
Album: The Voice of Brubeck Vol. 2 - Themes and Explorations
Recorded May 22, 2025 at Moores Opera House in Houston, TX
NEOJIBA — State Centers for Youth and Children Orchestras of Bahia (Brazil)
Conductor, Coordinator and Assistant of Musical Director — 2015–2024
Conductor-coordinator across 13 NEOJIBA centers statewide (2017–2024).
Assistant conductor of the program’s principal ensemble, Bahia Youth Symphony Orchestra (2022–2024).
Principal conductor of the Castro Alves Symphony Orchestra, the program’s second main ensemble (2016–2020).
Coordinator and conductor of the Trancoso Music Practice Center and String Orchestra (2015).
Assistant Conductor, International Tour — 2022
Performed in France, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, and Italy, including concerts at the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Philharmonie de Paris, with soloists Maria João Pires and Ricardo Castro.
Conductor, National Tour — 2023
Concerts throughout Northeast and North Brazil; assistant to violinist Midori.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Faculty, Orchestral Practice
Domingos Martins Festival — Espírito Santo, Brazil 2019 & 2024
Guest Conductor
King School of Music / El Sistema USA — 2018
Conductor
Bahia Children’s Symphony Orchestra — 2017.
Prepared 100 young musicians (ages 8–15) from over 30 cities for NEOJIBA’s 10-year anniversary concerts
Guest Conductor
Bahia Symphony Orchestra — 2017
Guest Conductor
Acarigua-Araure Symphony Orchestra (El Sistema Venezuela) — 2014
Faculty (Conducting, Harmony, Analysis)
Centro Cultura Musical de Campos — RJ, Brazil 2010–2014.
Coordinator of the institution’s technical music program.
Assistant Conductor
Mariuccia Iacovino Symphony Orchestra — Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 2010–2014
Assistant Conductor & Executive Coordinator
Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Campos dos Goytacazes — RJ, Brazil 2012
COMPETITIONS & DISTINCTIONS
Finalist & 5th Place, Los Angeles International Conductors Competition — Argentina, 2024
Quarterfinalist, Orchestra’s Conductor Competition — Bucharest, Romania, 2025
Participant, Antal Doráti Conducting Competition — 2025
MASTERCLASSES & PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Haute École de Musique de Genève — class with Laurent Gay (2018)
Bard College Conservatory of Music — Conducting Program with Harold Farberman, Lawrence Golan, Leon Botstein, Eduardo Navega, Raymond Harvey, Apo Hsu (2010)
Masterclass with Ligia Amadio — Minas Gerais Symphony Orchestra (2018)
Masterclass with Isaac Karabtchevsky — MIMO Festival (2011)
Masterclass with Kurt Masur — Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (2007)
Orchestral Conducting Workshop — Santo André Symphony Orchestra (2015)
Oficina de Música de Curitiba — Osvaldo Ferreira (2009–2011)
FESNOJIV Courses — Caracas, Venezuela (2006–2007)
Campos Winter Music Festival — FEMUSICA (2005–2006)
