Jessica Rivero Altarriba
New Jersey Symphony 2023–24 Colton Conducting Fellow
An emerging Latin American conductor, Jessica Rivero Altarriba stands out for her charisma and enthusiasm on the podium. Altarriba is particularly interested in composers of the Classical era as well as contemporary music. Hailing from Cuba, Altarriba appreciates the communal culture of music-making, and she believes that music has the ability to transform lives.
Altarriba is the first-ever Colton Conducting Fellow for the New Jersey Symphony in the 2023–24 season, and in this role will serve as cover conductor for subscription performances as well as conducting select performances. Other upcoming performances in the 2023–24 season include the National Orchestral Institute + Festival and the Chicago Sinfonietta.
In the United States, Altarriba has appeared on the podium with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and has also worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Abroad, Altarriba has appeared as guest conductor with Lüneburg Symphoniker in Germany and has also worked with Málaga Camerata and Virtuós Mediterrani in Spain. In her native Cuba, Altarriba served as Music Director of the Eastern Symphony Orchestra in Santiago de Cuba, and has appeared as guest conductor with several orchestras and contemporary music ensembles across the country, including a collaboration with the composition department of the Arts University, in which she premiered several new works. In addition, Altarriba’s dedication to training younger musicians led to her appointment as the Music Director of Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and Esteban Salas Symphony Orchestra. Altarriba’s presence in Cuban musical festivals in the last five years includes the Festival a Tempo con Caturla, Havana Jazz Plaza, Contemporary Music Festival, Festival Mozart Habana and Arts Festival, where she was awarded the first prize for young conductors.
Altarriba holds a bachelor's degree in conducting from the Arts University in Havana, Cuba. She is currently completing her master’s degree at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, under the mentorship of Marin Alsop. She is the recipient of the Excellence in Music Leadership Fellowship at Peabody Institute.
The Colton Conducting Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from Judith and Stewart Colton.