Marlene Urbay
Maestro Marlene Urbay was born in Havana, Cuba; she is the founder and music director of the Florida Chamber Orchestra (1995) and former Music Director of the National Ballet of Cuba (1982-1991). Urbay graduated from Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory in Havana, the National School of the Arts, in 1980, and “Instituto Superior de Arte” in Havana, earning a degree in 1985 with exceptional high honors in orchestral conducting.
After immigrating to the United States in 1991, Maestro Urbay was Assistant Conductor of the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra, studied at the Manhattan School of Music, and earned a master’s degree with excellence in orchestral conducting from the University of Miami School of Music in 1996.
Urbay has been a guest conductor at the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lima, Perú, Symphony Orchestra of Mexico D.F., Symphony Orchestra of Puerto Rico, Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Symphony Orchestra Betica of Sevilla, Symphony Orchestra of Silesia, Poland, Opera and Ballet Orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Liceo de Barcelona, and all the symphony orchestras in Cuba. She was “Director Huesped” with the National Dance Company in Mexico, D.F. at the famous “Bellas Artes” theatre from 2004 to 2007. In October 2012, she was invited to conduct the orchestra at the prestigious XII Violin’s Festival Orchestra, Lima, Peru. In December 2011 she was invited to conduct the Nutcracker season with Ballet Concerto of Puerto Rico and in December 2013 she conducted the Nutcracker season at San Jose Ballet, California with Silicon Valley Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 she was invited to the Lukas Award Annual Gala in London, United Kingdom.
She is the only Latin American woman conductor to earn a special award at Poland’s prestigious G. Fitelberg competition for international orchestra conductors and the only internationally Cuban-awarded orchestra conductor.
Maestro Marlene Urbay has received numerous accolades including a proclamation during Women’s History Month by the City of Miami as an exemplary female artist in the community (2023), recognition by I.C.C.A.S. The University of Miami as part of “Grandes
Leyendas Musicales” (2015), recognition by the Major of the City of Miami honoring her extraordinary career as a Music Director, conductor and outstanding contributions to the world of music and the community, (October 2015), recognition at the Congress for her contributionand dedication to the advancement of Latin Music in the United States (2013) recognition by The National Association of Professional Women (2009), Award by Yahoo Hispanic (2008) “Hispana Triunfadora in Mosaico Hispano, Pregones magazine for the development of Cuban music. (2003), “Asociación de Mujeres Cubanas” (2003), a proclamation by the City of Miami “Marlene Urbay’s Day” (September 28, 2000), “Hispana Triunfadora”, GEMS TV Women of the Year in the Music category (1999), First Annual Award. Miami, ACCA (1996) for the best performance of the year in the category of chamber music.
In 2000, she released her first CD, “Memories of Cuba” and in 2005, “Échale Salsita.”.
Urbay has been a member of the faculty at Miami-Dade Community College and Conchita Espinosa Academy of the Arts. Currently leads the Music Department, at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. As a ballet orchestra conductor, she has been conducting on several occasions the full ballets Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), Le Fille Mal Gardee, Coppelia, Paquita, Grand Pas the Quatre, Dido Abandonada, El Cid, Chopiniana, La Sylphid, and several famous pas de Deux such us Corsario, Diana, and Acteon, among others. She made the premier in the USA of the ballet Cecilia Valdes by Gonzalo Roig choreographed by R. Suarez in 2003. Ms. Urbay has been conducting an extensive lyric repertoire from Operas and operettas to Zarzuelas. Among the full operas, she has conducted Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Don Pasquale, La Traviata, Cosi Fan Tutte, and La Boheme.
As a conductor of young musicians, she has led the Belen Bands winning 15 first prizes in music competitions (2009-2023) including, Chicago and Washington, Best Band, and Gran Champion Band.