With her “incisive presence on the podium,” “emotive …without being in any sense showy” (Mark Morris, Edmonton Journal), Cuban-born conductor Cosette Justo Valdés has emerged as a rising star on the world concert stage. Beloved as a musician who wins the respect of her colleagues and the hearts of audiences, Valdés currently serves as the resident conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (Alberta, Canada) and the artistic director of the Vancouver Island Symphony (British Columbia, Canada).

Her daring, innovative programming at the helm of the Vancouver Island Symphony has ignited new passion in her audiences, inspiring them to engage personally not only with living, contemporary music but also with rarely heard historical works. As an ongoing part of her artistic agenda in Vancouver Island, Valdés proudly continues to give a powerful voice to the works of women composers from the past and present.