Internationally acclaimed conductor Fabio Mechetti currently serves as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Minas Gerais Philharmonic in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a post he has held since 2008. In 2015, his outstanding leadership of that orchestra was recognized with the Minas Gerais Prize for Economic Development, applauding the exceptional expansion and vitality of the organization during his tenure. Previous directorships include the Syracuse Symphony; the Malaysian Philharmonic in Kuala Lumpur; the Spokane Symphony, where he was named Music Director Laureate; and the Jacksonville Symphony, where he is now Music Director Emeritus. In addition to his Carnegie Hall orchestral debut with the New Jersey Symphony, Mr. Mechetti has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Pacific Symphony, the Long Island Philharmonic, and orchestras of Austin, Charlotte, Omaha, Phoenix, Rochester, San Antonio, San Jose, Seattle, and Utah. Worldwide engagements include the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, BBC Scottish Symphony in Glasgow, Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark, Quebec Symphony in Canada, the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid, and the Tampere Philharmonic in Finland. He is also a frequent guest conductor in Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela, as well as throughout Japan and Scandinavia. Besides positioning the Minas Gerais Philharmonic as a leading organization in Brazil and Latin America, Fabio Mechetti has developed a successful partnership with Naxos for a five-year project recording works by Brazilian composers. Mr. Mechetti excels as an opera conductor as well, having served as Music Director of the Rio de Janeiro Opera and managed nine grand opera productions with the Jacksonville Symphony. Winner of the 1989 Malko International Conducting Competition in Denmark, Mr. Mechetti has been associate conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra/Washington, D.C. and resident conductor of the San Diego Symphony. His children’s programs in Washington won the 1985 National Endowment for the Arts Award for Best Educational Programming in the United States. Fabio Mechetti holds a Master of Music degree in both conducting and composition from The Juilliard School. He currently resides in Jacksonville with his wife, pianist Aida Ribeira, and their twin daughters.