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Cuban talent is once again making its mark on one of Europe's most demanding cultural stages. Maestro César Ramos, born in Cuba and now based in the Netherlands, has been appointed the new assistant conductor of the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia for the 2026-2027 season, a recognition that affirms a career built on discipline, emigration, and a passion for music.
The news was confirmed by La Voz de Galicia, which reported that Ramos was selected after working for several days with the orchestra and conducting in concert alongside other finalists at the Auditorium of Galicia.
The process concluded last Thursday, following a public presentation that also included Javier Huerta Gimeno, Leonard David Wacker, and Stefano Boccacci, candidates for the same position.
The appointment is significant. The Royal Philharmonic of Galicia sees this position as a high-level training opportunity, allowing young conductors to work for a full year with a professional orchestra.
According to the specialized media Doce Notas, the program is part of the orchestra's institutional commitment to the future of orchestral conducting and to music education in Europe.
For many Cubans inside and outside the island, César Ramos's story resonates beyond the academic realm. His journey began at the age of 11 when he studied the cello in Cuba and continued at the University of the Arts (ISA) in Havana, where he took up the baton under the guidance of maestros such as Guido López-Gavilán.
In 2018, he made his debut at the Grand Theater of Havana directing The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky, a pivotal moment in his career.
Since then, her journey has mirrored that of many Cuban artists who have had to grow up far from home.
After holding positions as the deputy director of the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Ramos settled in Europe, where he completed the National Master's in Orchestral Conducting in the Netherlands, becoming the first Latin American student accepted into that prestigious program.
In 2025, he received the Rudis Martinus van Dijk Conductor Award, and has worked as an assistant conductor with some of the most important orchestras on the continent, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
At the same time, he has maintained a creative connection to his roots, founding projects such as Cuban Landscapes and the Ensemble Habana XXI, conceived as bridges between contemporary music and the cultural identity of the island.
César Ramos's election in Galicia not only celebrates the individual merit of a brilliant musician. For many Cubans, it also represents a story of perseverance, of talent that does not give up, and of a country that continues to export culture, even amidst emigration and difficulties. On a high-level European stage, the baton once again raises the name of Cuba.
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