Franco Garrido is an emerging Chilean conductor whose broad musical background shapes the way he approaches the orchestra. Born in Traiguén, Chile, he began his musical training at the age of seven, studying piano, guitar, flute, percussion, saxophone, bass and a variety of traditional Chilean instruments before eventually focusing on the violin.

A Broad Musical Foundation

His curiosity about different instruments and his fascination with the many colors and possibilities of orchestral music naturally led him towards conducting. While studying violin at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, he began his conducting training with Herbert Böck in choral and orchestral conducting and Gernot Sahler in opera. After graduating in violin, he devoted himself fully to conducting, studying with Martin Fuchsberger and Jorge Rotter.

His development as a conductor has been further shaped by masterclasses with Christian Thielemann, Helmuth Reichel Silva, Markus Poschner, Matteo Pagliari, Ricardo Castro and Christoph-Mathias Mueller. His studies with Professor Reinhard Goebel have also deepened his understanding of historically informed performance practice, particularly in repertoire from before the 19th century.

On the Podium

Garrido has worked with ensembles including the Bruckner Orchester Linz, Bad Reichenhaller Philharmoniker, Universitätsorchester Dresden and the Academia de Orquestas Latinoamericanas. In 2025, he was appointed Assistant Conductor at the prestigious Portillo Festival in Chile. Since 2026, he has been working with the Orchesterakademie Salzburg, in close collaboration with the Stiftung Mozarteum and the Mozarteum Orchestra.

His experience as an orchestral musician is an important part of his approach to conducting. As a violinist, he served as concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra of the Mozarteum University, the Orquesta de Cámara Universidad Austral and the Orquesta Sinfónica Regional de los Ríos. He has also performed with the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Araucanía, Philharmonie Salzburg, Salzburger Konzertgesellschaft, Agentur Orpheus and Oper im Berg.

Music Beyond the Concert Hall

Garrido’s connection to music extends well beyond the concert hall. From 2011 to 2018, he worked extensively with indigenous communities in southern Chile, bringing music education to remote mountain schools.

The initiative was supported by the Papageno Music School, founded by Viennese baritone Christian Boesch, and continues to provide free, high-quality music education to children who would otherwise have little or no access to it. For Garrido, this work reflects a lasting belief in music education as a means of personal and social development.