The Kotas Project

Karina Canellakis born in New York in 1983. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music with a degree in violin performance and a masters in conducting from the Juilliard School. Canellakis was inspired to become a conductor by Sir Simon Rattle during her residency at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Academy. Her biggest claim to fame is when she filled in for Jaap van Zweden at the last minute to conduct Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She did this performance with no prior rehearsal. She served as the Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for two years and since then has conducted many orchestras. These orchestras include Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Finally, she has an orchestra of her own, as of May 2018 Canellakis has been appointed Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.