San Antonio Philharmonic Names Interim Music Director
By David Salazar(Credit: Jeremy Kyle)
The San Antonio Philharmonic has announced the appointment of Felipe Tristán as Interim Music Director.
This marks the first time a Mexican-American conductor will lead the orchestra in its 87-year history.
Tristán has served as the Philharmonic’s Associate Conductor since 2024, a tenure that has included some of the orchestra’s most celebrated performances. His international career has taken him to orchestras and institutions across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Future programming under his leadership will continue to feature core symphonic repertoire while expanding opportunities for Mexican, Latino, and Latin American composers, conductors, and guest artists.
“San Antonio is one of the most vibrant Latino cities in the U.S., and that means a lot to me as a Mexican-American conductor,” said Tristán, who is also Principal Conductor of the Ballet de Monterrey and a member of the conducting faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, per the orchestra. “Having served as Associate Conductor of the SA Phil since 2024, I have seen and been honored to experience firsthand the performances of this world-class orchestra. We are looking ahead. This is a moment of real opportunity, and we will meet it with ambitious programming that places our musicians front and center, with deep community engagement, and an artistic vision that puts San Antonio on the international map.”
Tristan previously held a decade-long relationship with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, culminating in his role as Artistic Director. He has recently appeared with the Sofia Philharmonic, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Prague Philharmonic. In 2024, he became the first Mexican conductor to receive the Muzyczne Orły Award from Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for Best Recording. He has also conducted at the MET Gala, appeared in the Disney+ documentary “In Vogue: The ’90s,” and collaborated with Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the New York Philharmonic.
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