NORMAN GAMBOA

Norman Gamboa is the Music Director of the Sonoma County Philharmonic in California. He also serves as Director of Orchestral Activities at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, conductor of the Rio Grande Youth Symphony Orchestra. and conductor of the Rio Grande Valley Ballet Orchestra. Gamboa is considered one of the most prominent Central American conductors, with an active schedule that includes appearances with the Kansas City Philharmonia, Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, Topeka Symphony Orchestra, Idaho State Civic Symphony, Winchester Orchestra, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony Orchestra, Newton Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Civic Symphony, and Salina Symphony Orchestra among others. Worldwide engagements include renowned orchestras such as the Západočeský Symfonický (Czech Republic), Orchestra Filarmonicii de Stat Ploieşti (Romania), Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín (Colombia), Orquestra Sinfônica de Ribeirão Preto and Orquestra Sinfônica Estado de São Paulo (Brazil), Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil Municipal de Guatemala, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado Mérida and Orquesta Sinfónica de Los Llanos (Venezuela), Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca (Ecuador), Camerata Bach (Nicaragua), as well as the National Symphony Orchestras of Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. 

Norman has led numerous joint ventures such as fully choreographed productions of Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye with Ballet Midwest, The Nutcracker Ballet with Aurora Dance Arts, Rio Grande Valley Ballet, and Santa Rosa Dance Theater, Fiesta Mexicana with Fiesta Colorado Dance Company, Peter and the Wolf with Edinburg Dance Theatre, as well as several operas with the Topeka Opera Society and Opera on Tap Colorado. Festival appearances include Pilsen 2015, FOSJA Casals Festival, Central American Festival of Chamber Music, Medellín International Music Festival, Villarrica Arts Festival, Costa Rica International Festival of Arts, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Bregenzer Festspiele, Las Vegas Music Festival, OSESP Orchestra Conductors Competition, the New York Brass Conference and Regina Music Conference. He conducted the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Europe, a project that gathered some of the most distinguished music students from numerous music conservatories all over Europe. Previously, he served as Music Director of the Powder River Symphony in Wyoming, Director of Orchestral Studies at Washburn University in Kansas, Cover Conductor of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Las Vegas Music Festival, Assistant Conductor of the Waco Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra in Texas.

Gamboa has served as conductor and clinician with honor student orchestras throughout the Midwest and western United States as well as abroad, he holds orchestral conducting degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Louisiana State University. Born and raised in Costa Rica, he currently resides in McAllen, Texas.