Katherine Rivas Fuentes, Venezuelan and Mexican professional flutist, music educator, and orchestral leader with extensive experience in orchestral performance. She holds the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Flute Performance, awarded with distinction in 2019 and the Licentiate of Flute Performance of the UNEARTE University of Arts in Venezuela. Her artistic career includes recognition at national and international competitions, including First Prize in the Flute Category of the National Flute and Piccolo Competition of Venezuela (2014) and a Special Prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich (2014). She also participated as a soloist in the Jean-Pierre Rampal International Flute Competition and Carl Nielsen International Competition.

Rivas developed an important part of her orchestral career within Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras (El Sistema). From 2008 to 2016, she was a member of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, serving as Principal Flute under Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. With the orchestra, she participated in major international tours and performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, and Santa Cecilia in Rome, as well as renowned festivals such as the BBC Proms, Lucerne Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, and Edinburgh International Festival.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN MEXICO

From 2016 to 2022, Rivas was a member of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, serving as Piccolo and Associate Principal Flute. During this important six-year chapter of her professional career in Mexico, she performed in major halls and cultural events throughout the country, including the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and the Festival Internacional Cervantino, as well as participating in national and international tours to the United States and Europe.

As a member of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, she participated in the recording of Mariachiatlán, which received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2019, representing one of the significant achievements of her professional career in Mexico.

CURRENTLY

Currently based in Texas, Rivas combines her experience as a professional musician with her commitment to music education and community development. She is Executive Director and Founder of The Nucleus Orchestral Program TX, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to orchestral music and music education for children and young people, and serves as Executive Director of Krea Academy.

Contact: krivas@thenucleusorchestral.org