Rodrigo Gonzalez Jacob, Conductor
Rodrigo Gonzalez Jacob is an Argentine conductor whose work spans the symphonic, operatic, and ballet stages of North and South America.
In Argentina, he served as Music and Artistic Director of the Orquesta Académica UNA at the National University of the Arts, where he led over one hundred performances across the symphonic, choral, and operatic repertoire, from full symphonic cycles and contemporary premieres to several staged operas.
He also served as the Associate Conductor of the National Symphonic Band for the Blind and maintained a busy schedule as a guest conductor for international festivals, including The Youth Orchestra of the Americas (YOA), Isla Verde Bronces International Festival, Biennial Philharmonic Festival, and the La Rioja Latin American and Classical Music Festival, with appearances at landmark venues including the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the Auditorio Nacional.
In 2022, González Jacob relocated to the United States to continue his artistic development, and has since built a wide-ranging professional presence in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
In the symphonic world, he has collaborated with the Oregon Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Orchestra Next, Anchorage Symphony, Oregon Mozart Players, Rogue Valley Symphony, and Bay Area Symphony.
On the opera and ballet stage, he has collaborated in fully staged productions with Eugene Opera, Eugene Ballet, Alaska Ballet, Opera in Williamsburg, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, and Opera San José.
For the 2026–2027 season, he proudly joins Opera San José to serve as Resident Conductor and Chorus Master, with a season that includes Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Bizet’s Carmen, John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, and Fiddler on the Roof.
González Jacob holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Oregon and a Postgraduate Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the National University of the Arts, along with bachelor’s degrees in Viola Performance and Collaborative Piano.
He studied conducting with Maestro Mario Benzecry and has worked alongside conductors like Hannu Lintu, Asher Fisch, David Danzmayr, and Helmuth Rilling. He has attended masterclasses with Jorma Panula, Marc Minkowski, Johannes Schlaefli, and Neil Varon.
Beyond his musical pursuits, Rodrigo enjoys reading, hiking, and culinary experimentation. He also finds inspiration in exploring nature, astronomy, camping, and sailing.
If you are interested in supporting or sponsoring an Artist-in-Residence, please reach out to our Major Gifts Officer Julia Denny at denny@operasj.org