About the Conductor

Sebrina Maria Alfonso

Sebrina Maria Alfonso made her New York debut conducting the American Symphony Orchestra at the finals of the Stokowski International Competition in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. The audience greeted this prize-winner with a standing ovation following her performance and pronounced her the clear winner in the audience poll announced at the end of the proceedings.

Following an appearance with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Maestro Alfonso’s work was described as “…Alfonso…ushered her audience into chambers of fantasy, imagery, and feeling – elements essential to fine music-making. This is the way conducting used to be.” (San Jose Mercury News)

In 2002, Ms. Alfonso became the first Cuban American conductor invited to conduct Cuba’s premiere orchestra where she received standing ovations from standing room only concerts. Ms. Alfonso continues a relationship with that orchestra and has traveled to Cuba on at least four other occasions.

Ms. Alfonso has appeared as a guest conductor for:

• The Los Angeles Philharmonic
• The National Orchestra of Cuba
• The San Jose Symphony
• The San Jose Chamber Orchestra
• The Pacific Symphony
• The San Antonio Symphony
• The North Carolina Symphony
• The Charleston Symphony
• The Prague Radio Symphony
• The Orchestra de Rus in Sienna, Italy
• The Ann Arbor Symphony
• The Missouri Symphony Society
• The Women’s Philharmonic

…and on the lighter side she was asked by the Tourist and Development Council for the State of Florida to conduct an underwater concert for over 400 divers, which received recognition worldwide.

With her national reputation continuing to expand, Sebrina has been the recipient of feature stories on CBS Radio News, CNN, the AP Press, MS Magazine (New York), Deco Drive and Miami News (ABC), and has been reported in Reuters.

It is Ms. Alfonso’s clear love of music and passion to grow, expand, and discover that drives her and the South Florida Symphony towards the future.